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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. perch — the fish
  8. content — happy
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. board — a committee
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. press — to push
  14. mine — for digging
  15. content — the amount
  16. board — to get on
  17. hand — help
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pass — a permit
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. hand — in cards
  24. perch — for a bird

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