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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. chip — to eat
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. press — to push
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. game — wild animals
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fall — the season
  18. press — a publisher
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fall — to drop
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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