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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: game · press · chip · object · track · lie · last · staff

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. staff — employees
  3. track — a path
  4. chip — for betting
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. last — final
  8. staff — employees
  9. object — a thing
  10. press — a publisher
  11. object — an aim
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. press — to push
  14. last — finally
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chip — to eat
  17. game — wild animals
  18. track — a song
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. press — newspapers
  21. track — to keep track
  22. game — a match
  23. object — to protest
  24. lie — an untruth

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