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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 120 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 · rock · trunk · mate · chip · last · track · mark

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rock — music
  3. track — a song
  4. rock — a stone
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mate — a partner
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. track — to keep track
  9. last — final
  10. track — a path
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. last — finally
  20. chip — for betting
  21. last — to go on
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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