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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · chip · hand · court · object · wound · pit · press

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. court — for sport
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. march — the month
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. court — of a king
  10. object — a thing
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chip — for betting
  15. court — of law
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pit — in a race
  19. march — the month
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hand — help
  24. chip — in a computer

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