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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. press — to push
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. degree — an amount
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — a contest
  13. press — newspapers
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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