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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. foot — a measure
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — a tin
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — to push
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. can — a tin
  22. press — newspapers
  23. chip — for betting
  24. foot — part of the body

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