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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 124 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. race — a contest
  4. key — for a lock
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. chip — to eat
  9. dip — to sink
  10. race — humankind
  11. press — to push
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. current — electric
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitch — completely
  16. key — in music
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chip — for betting
  21. current — of water
  22. race — the arms race
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. kick — in football

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