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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. track — a song
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. track — to keep track
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. net — after costs
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. chip — to eat
  15. net — for catching
  16. press — newspapers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. track — a path
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. net — in sport
  24. tube — in a tire

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