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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. press — newspapers
  3. scale — size or range
  4. plane — a tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. rush — hurry
  11. scale — in music
  12. spring — the season
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chip — for betting
  16. game — a match
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. press — to push
  21. spring — of water
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. plane — an aircraft

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