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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: scale · tube · chip · press · season · deal · rule · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. scale — size or range
  3. chip — to eat
  4. deal — to handle
  5. tube — a container
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. season — of the year
  9. rule — government
  10. press — to push
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. scale — in music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. season — in sport
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rule — a law
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rule — to rule out

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