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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. chip — to eat
  5. capital — a city
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. face — to confront
  8. suit — clothes
  9. press — to push
  10. bound — obliged
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bound — certain
  13. suit — in cards
  14. roll — a list
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. press — newspapers
  18. face — part of the head
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bound — tied together

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