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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. press — to push
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pound — a weight
  14. content — the amount
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. season — of the year
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. season — in sport
  20. chip — for betting
  21. press — newspapers
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. content — happy

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