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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · chair · press · scale · plane · mug · firm · hand

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chip — for betting
  5. scale — in music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chair — a leader
  8. firm — decided
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. press — to push
  13. hand — in cards
  14. scale — size or range
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. firm — a company
  19. mug — a cup
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mug — a face
  22. chip — to eat
  23. firm — steady
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com