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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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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: band · last · fan · stock · object · bound · chip · press

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. band — a ring
  3. stock — shares
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stock — goods
  6. press — a publisher
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. object — an aim
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. last — to go on
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bound — tied together
  16. object — a thing
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. chip — for betting
  22. band — a music group
  23. bound — certain
  24. band — a rubber band

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