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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 120 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. press — a publisher
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. staff — a stick
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mark — a grade
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. mine — for digging
  11. press — to push
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mark — a trace

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