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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: nail · land · game · tube · press · season · chip · stand

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. tube — a container
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chip — for betting
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — in sport
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. land — ground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chip — to eat
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. land — to come down
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — a match
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. press — a publisher
  24. tube — the underground

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