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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rest — a break
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. rest — what's left
  15. press — to push
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. chip — for betting
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. root — of a plant
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. staff — employees
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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