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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chip — to eat
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. club — for golf
  10. bat — the animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. club — a group
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. chip — for betting
  24. deal — to handle

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