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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. charge — a price
  4. chip — for betting
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. land — ground
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. press — a publisher
  10. charge — electricity
  11. deal — to handle
  12. charge — in control
  13. land — a country
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. press — to push
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. land — to come down
  23. chip — to eat
  24. deal — an agreement

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