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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. spell — magic
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. spell — letters
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chip — for betting
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. press — to push
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. deal — to handle

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