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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: club · chip · pitcher · perch · jam · firm · press · cabinet

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chip — for betting
  4. perch — the fish
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. club — a group
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. firm — a company
  11. chip — to eat
  12. press — newspapers
  13. firm — steady
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — decided
  17. club — for golf
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. press — to push
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. club — for dancing
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cabinet — ministers

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