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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chip — to eat
  4. net — in sport
  5. row — a line
  6. cap — a hat
  7. press — to push
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bass — the fish
  12. current — of water
  13. net — after costs
  14. cap — a lid
  15. row — to paddle
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. cap — of ice
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. chip — for betting
  22. net — for catching
  23. bass — low music
  24. chip — in a computer

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