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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: press · hand · coach · chip · track · kick · prune · trunk

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — help
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chip — to eat
  11. track — a path
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. track — a song
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. hand — in cards
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — in football
  23. press — to push
  24. kick — with a leg

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