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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. stock — goods
  7. firm — decided
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chip — for betting
  13. firm — steady
  14. stock — shares
  15. swing — to play on
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. swing — music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. firm — a company
  22. chair — a leader
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chip — to eat

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