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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. swing — to play on
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fine — high quality
  11. swing — music
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. capital — a city
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. press — newspapers
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — to push
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fine — all right
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. capital — money
  24. chip — for betting

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