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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pop — soda
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wake — before a funeral

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