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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. net — after costs
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. net — in sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. band — a ring
  7. kick — in football
  8. chip — to eat
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. net — for catching
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ball — a dance
  17. band — a music group
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. ball — a great time
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. press — to push
  23. kick — with a leg
  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