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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. degree — an amount
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. press — newspapers
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stock — goods
  9. fall — the season
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. shower — rain
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. degree — temperature
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pit — in a race
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stock — shares
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. press — a publisher
  23. degree — from a university
  24. fall — to drop

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