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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cap — a lid
  3. root — of a word
  4. chip — for betting
  5. press — newspapers
  6. shower — rain
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. shower — to wash
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cap — of ice
  16. ball — a great time
  17. press — to push
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — a publisher
  21. root — the cause
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. sharp — clever

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