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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: bear · dip · swing · track · vault · press · field · chip

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. swing — in golf
  3. chip — to eat
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. swing — music
  7. chip — for betting
  8. swing — to play on
  9. field — for sport
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. vault — a safe
  13. field — a subject
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. field — farmland
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. track — a path
  24. bear — to put up with

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