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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: bear · chip · race · foot · roll · press · board · file

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. foot — a measure
  5. press — to push
  6. race — the arms race
  7. press — a publisher
  8. race — humankind
  9. press — newspapers
  10. file — a document
  11. roll — a list
  12. file — a line of people
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. board — to get on
  17. race — a contest
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. file — a tool
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bear — the animal
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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