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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. press — to push
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a great time
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. degree — temperature
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. press — a publisher
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chip — for betting
  23. press — newspapers
  24. ball — a round shape

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