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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. shower — rain
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. press — to push
  9. mark — a trace
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — in control
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mark — a grade
  24. net — for catching

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