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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chip — to eat
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. press — to push
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chip — for betting
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. branch — a division
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. date — the fruit

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