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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fine — all right
  5. press — newspapers
  6. net — in sport
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. press — to push
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. charge — a price
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bore — to drill
  18. net — after costs
  19. cap — a lid
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. charge — in control
  23. fine — high quality
  24. net — for catching

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