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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fine — all right
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chip — to eat
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. content — the amount
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. branch — a division
  16. charge — a price
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. press — to push
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chip — for betting
  21. charge — in control
  22. fine — high quality
  23. content — happy
  24. press — a publisher

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