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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. last — final
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — for light
  5. last — to go on
  6. chip — for betting
  7. last — finally
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. press — to push
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. capital — a city
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. capital — money
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — in a race
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lie — to recline
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stand — for spectators

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