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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. charge — electricity
  3. face — part of the head
  4. charge — in control
  5. face — to point toward
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. face — to confront
  13. pitch — completely
  14. squash — to crush
  15. charge — a price
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. saw — the tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fall — to drop

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