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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: present · calf · pop · press · hand · saw · stock · chip

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stock — shares
  9. present — a gift
  10. hand — help
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stock — goods
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pop — music
  16. present — there
  17. press — to push
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. present — the time now
  21. chip — to eat
  22. press — newspapers
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. calf — a young animal

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