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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: board · chip · clip · saw · kick · track · press · date

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. kick — in football
  3. press — to push
  4. track — a song
  5. saw — the tool
  6. date — the fruit
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. clip — to cut
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. track — a path
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. press — newspapers
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. chip — to eat
  18. saw — the tool
  19. clip — a video
  20. track — to keep track
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. clip — for paper
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chip — for betting

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