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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · chip · vault · game · branch · band · press · spell

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spell — magic
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a music group
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. game — a match
  11. band — a ring
  12. branch — a division
  13. chip — to eat
  14. press — newspapers
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. chip — for betting
  23. spell — letters
  24. vault — a safe

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