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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. game — a match
  7. file — a line of people
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chip — for betting
  10. press — a publisher
  11. file — a document
  12. march — the month
  13. land — a country
  14. march — music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. press — to push
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — ground
  21. game — wild animals
  22. file — a tool
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. march — the month

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