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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: deal · press · cap · current · scale · cabinet · chip · stick

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. chip — for betting
  5. scale — in music
  6. press — to push
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. press — newspapers
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — happening now
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. press — a publisher
  23. current — electric
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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