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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: object · chip · band · net · ruler · press · bat · trunk

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. band — a ring
  4. chip — to eat
  5. press — a publisher
  6. net — in sport
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. object — an aim
  9. net — for catching
  10. object — a thing
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. press — to push
  14. band — a music group
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. object — to protest
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. net — after costs
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. press — newspapers
  23. chip — for betting
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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