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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · press · land · last · track · bear · chip · bass

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. track — a path
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. land — to come down
  5. last — to go on
  6. cue — a hint
  7. last — finally
  8. land — ground
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. press — to push
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cue — a signal
  13. last — final
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bass — low music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. land — a country
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cue — for pool
  20. track — a song
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bass — the fish
  24. chip — to eat

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