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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. swing — music
  3. bat — the animal
  4. chip — to eat
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. press — to push
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. clip — to cut
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. clip — a video
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chip — in a computer

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