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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. content — happy
  8. chip — for betting
  9. foot — a measure
  10. press — to push
  11. content — the amount
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. clip — a video
  20. tube — a container
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chip — to eat

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