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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. clip — to cut
  6. press — to push
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pop — to visit
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. clip — a video
  14. rest — what's left
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pop — soda
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. clip — for paper
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bear — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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