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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fall — the season
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chip — to eat
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. press — to push
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — for betting

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