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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 116 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: press · degree · cue · fork · chip · cabinet · swing · stand

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fork — in a road
  7. degree — from a university
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cue — a hint
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stand — to bear
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cue — for pool
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. press — to push
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — music

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