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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rash — hasty
  5. press — to push
  6. craft — boats
  7. wake — a trail
  8. suit — clothes
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rash — a series
  23. cap — a hat
  24. press — a publisher

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