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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 124 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chip — to eat
  8. track — a path
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. chip — for betting
  13. track — to keep track
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bear — the animal
  18. press — to push
  19. rush — hurry
  20. press — newspapers
  21. game — a match
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bear — to put up with

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