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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. can — a tin
  3. press — to push
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. sharp — clever
  6. can — to be able to
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — to come from
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. press — newspapers
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. press — a publisher
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. tube — a container

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