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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. press — newspapers
  5. capital — money
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. press — a publisher
  8. current — of water
  9. press — to push
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chest — of your body
  12. current — electric
  13. chip — for betting
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chest — a box
  18. scale — size or range
  19. date — the fruit
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. current — happening now
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. chip — to eat

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