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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chip — to eat
  3. scale — in music
  4. press — a publisher
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. press — to push
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pound — a weight
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stand — to bear

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