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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bore — to drill
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cold — an illness
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. press — a publisher
  12. club — for golf
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. club — a group
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bore — to tire
  18. press — to push
  19. pitch — completely
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stand — for spectators

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