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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 120 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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chest — a box
  4. ball — a dance
  5. charge — a price
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. degree — temperature
  8. press — a publisher
  9. chip — to eat
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. press — to push
  12. chip — for betting
  13. kid — to tease
  14. degree — an amount
  15. chest — of your body
  16. charge — in control
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rock — music
  23. ball — a great time
  24. charge — electricity

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