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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. press — to push
  5. pop — to visit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chip — for betting
  9. game — a match
  10. bass — the fish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chip — to eat
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. press — a publisher
  18. craft — a skill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pop — soda
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bass — low music
  24. pop — music

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