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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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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: chip · file · craft · band · cap · fall · press · fork

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. file — a document
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fall — the season
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. band — a ring
  9. chip — to eat
  10. file — a tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cap — a hat
  14. band — a music group
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cap — a lid
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chip — for betting
  21. craft — boats
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — to push
  24. fork — to eat 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