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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. chip — to eat
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. march — the month
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bound — certain
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bound — obliged
  10. firm — a company
  11. march — the month
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — tied together
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — for betting
  17. press — to push
  18. saw — the tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. firm — decided
  21. march — music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. prune — to trim

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