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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. press — newspapers
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fall — to drop
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. present — the time now
  7. pop — music
  8. press — to push
  9. fall — the season
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chip — for betting
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. net — in sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. press — a publisher
  18. race — the arms race
  19. present — there
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. net — for catching
  22. fall — to drop
  23. net — after costs
  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