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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 120 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
468
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: squash · field · present · press · scale · stick · branch · chip

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. present — there
  3. scale — size or range
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. press — a publisher
  8. present — the time now
  9. squash — to crush
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. press — newspapers
  12. scale — in music
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. press — to push
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — the sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. field — a subject
  23. chip — for betting
  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