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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: hand · chip · last · track · pitcher · press · lie · racket

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chip — to eat
  3. hand — help
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. track — a song
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. last — to go on
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — to push
  12. track — a path
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. press — a publisher
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. hand — in cards
  24. track — to keep track

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