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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. game — wild animals
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pop — music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. press — to push
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rash — a series
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pop — to visit
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. pop — soda
  22. net — for catching
  23. game — a match
  24. stem — a stem cell

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