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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — for betting
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pit — in a race
  8. lie — to recline
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. prune — to trim
  12. kid — to tease
  13. capital — a city
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kid — child
  17. press — newspapers
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. can — a tin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — to push
  23. pit — a hole
  24. capital — money

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