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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kick — in football
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. degree — temperature
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. land — ground
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. press — newspapers
  13. land — a country
  14. press — to push
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chip — for betting
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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