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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cue — for pool
  8. current — electric
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — for catching
  12. chip — to eat
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cue — a hint
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. staff — employees
  20. current — of water
  21. staff — employees
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chip — in a computer

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