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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. press — to push
  5. track — a song
  6. present — the time now
  7. chip — to eat
  8. present — a gift
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. court — for sport
  13. press — newspapers
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. hand — help
  17. present — there
  18. court — of law
  19. press — a publisher
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. track — a path
  22. court — of a king
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bear — the animal

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