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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. kid — child
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bound — certain
  9. tube — a container
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bound — obliged
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — to push
  17. pop — soda
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rest — a break
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rest — what's left

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