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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. net — after costs
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pit — a hole
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — in sport
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fork — in a road
  13. press — to push
  14. pop — to visit
  15. press — newspapers
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pop — soda
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pop — music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. chip — for betting

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