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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 120 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: vault · pit · chip · rest · press · content · track · chair

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pit — a hole
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chair — a leader
  9. press — to push
  10. track — a song
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. content — happy
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chip — for betting
  17. track — a path
  18. content — the amount
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rest — a break
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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