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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. game — a match
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. spell — magic
  5. chip — for betting
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. chip — to eat
  17. spell — letters
  18. game — wild animals
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pop — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ruler — a monarch

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