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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: pass · mark · swing · stem · press · cabinet · racket · chip

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. swing — in golf
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stem — to come from
  17. press — a publisher
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mark — a grade
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. racket — for tennis

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