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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: press · tube · cabinet · chip · rule · coach · fine · game

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chip — to eat
  7. game — a match
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rule — government
  12. game — wild animals
  13. press — to push
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — a container
  20. rule — a law
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fine — high quality
  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