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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: date · cell · chair · mark · bore · chip · press · foot

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mark — a trace
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. date — the fruit
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. press — to push
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mark — a grade
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cell — in biology
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cell — a phone
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mark — to pay attention

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