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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: pit · can · press · chip · stock · club · key · season

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. chip — to eat
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stock — goods
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. press — to push
  12. club — for golf
  13. stock — shares
  14. can — a tin
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. club — a group
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. press — newspapers
  21. can — to be able to
  22. club — for dancing
  23. press — a publisher
  24. key — for a lock

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