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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 116 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. chip — to eat
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pound — a weight
  7. dip — to sink
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. press — to push
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ground — a position
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ground — crushed
  23. net — after costs
  24. chip — for betting

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