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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: rule · net · press · board · track · pit · chest · chip

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rule — government
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. press — newspapers
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. track — a song
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rule — a law
  17. track — to keep track
  18. board — to get on
  19. pit — a hole
  20. track — a path
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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