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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. press — a publisher
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. chip — to eat
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rest — a break
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chair — a leader
  17. squash — to crush
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chip — for betting
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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