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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. game — wild animals
  6. squash — to crush
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. press — to push
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. game — a match
  12. band — a ring
  13. press — a publisher
  14. squash — the sport
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a music group
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. chip — to eat
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — in football
  24. band — a rubber band

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