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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: charge · toast · press · object · saw · field · chip · deal

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. object — an aim
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chip — to eat
  5. press — to push
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. object — to protest
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. chip — for betting
  12. saw — the tool
  13. field — farmland
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. press — newspapers
  17. toast — bread
  18. charge — a price
  19. press — a publisher
  20. object — a thing
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. deal — to handle

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