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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. press — a publisher
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. press — to push
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bound — obliged
  12. capital — a city
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bound — tied together
  17. capital — money
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bass — low music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. toast — bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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