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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. race — humankind
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. club — a group
  6. race — a contest
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bank — for money
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wind — moving air
  14. club — for golf
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pit — in a race
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bank — for money
  21. pit — a hole
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. race — the arms race

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