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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. capital — money
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. press — to push
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. foot — a measure
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. capital — a city
  12. pitch — completely
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. chip — to eat
  18. swing — in golf
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bulb — for light

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