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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: mouse · charge · shower · chip · track · press · rule · stick

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. track — a song
  3. press — a publisher
  4. shower — rain
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. charge — a price
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. press — to push
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rule — a law
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rule — government
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. charge — in control
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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