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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pit — a hole
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. shower — rain
  11. press — to push
  12. pit — in a race
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stock — goods
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. stock — shares
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. content — happy
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. content — the amount
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. shower — to wash

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