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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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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: calf · press · band · chip · rush · fan · track · key

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — to eat
  5. track — a song
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. key — for a lock
  9. band — a ring
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. key — in music
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — to keep track
  17. press — to push
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. key — the most important part
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — a path
  24. chip — for betting

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