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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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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: race · file · date · board · calf · present · press · chip

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. board — a committee
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. board — to get on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. file — a tool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. present — there
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. present — a gift
  18. race — a contest
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. present — the time now
  21. chip — to eat
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. board — a flat piece

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