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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: bound · roll · cap · wave · cabinet · pit · chip · press

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bound — certain
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. press — to push
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bound — obliged
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. press — newspapers
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. roll — a list

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