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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. press — a publisher
  6. clip — for paper
  7. press — to push
  8. craft — a skill
  9. net — after costs
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chip — for betting
  12. clip — to cut
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. net — in sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. craft — boats
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. chip — to eat
  23. clip — a video
  24. net — for catching

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