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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. staff — employees
  3. field — for sport
  4. chip — for betting
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. field — farmland
  7. rule — government
  8. press — newspapers
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. staff — a stick
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. field — a subject
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rule — a law
  18. staff — employees
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chip — to eat
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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