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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 124 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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468
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: tube · current · rock · chip · march · press · saw · coach

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — a publisher
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. current — happening now
  7. march — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. chip — to eat
  10. current — of water
  11. tube — the underground
  12. current — electric
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rock — a stone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. press — to push
  17. chip — for betting
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. march — the month
  20. press — newspapers
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. march — the month
  23. rock — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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