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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. net — after costs
  3. staff — employees
  4. mate — a partner
  5. press — to push
  6. net — for catching
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rush — hurry
  17. net — in sport
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wake — a trail
  24. staff — employees

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