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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. press — to push
  3. object — an aim
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. club — for golf
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bulb — for light
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. club — a group
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. press — newspapers
  24. trunk — of a tree

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