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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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. clip — a video
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cap — of ice
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. clip — for paper
  13. press — to push
  14. current — happening now
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — wild animals
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. squash — to crush
  22. game — a match
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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