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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bass — the fish
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — not warm
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pop — soda
  11. press — a publisher
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pop — music
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bass — low music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. press — to push

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