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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: jam · roll · trunk · race · charge · chip · rash · press

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. press — to push
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chip — to eat
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rash — hasty
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rash — a series
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. charge — electricity
  11. race — a contest
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. roll — a list
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. charge — a price
  17. race — the arms race
  18. charge — in control
  19. press — a publisher
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. press — newspapers
  22. race — humankind
  23. chip — for betting
  24. trunk — of a car

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