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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. press — to push
  3. file — a line of people
  4. press — newspapers
  5. suit — in cards
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — of law
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. file — a tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. court — for sport
  18. file — a document
  19. mark — a trace
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mark — a grade

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