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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chip — for betting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chip — to eat
  11. foot — a measure
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pop — soda
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. press — to push
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. charge — a price
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pop — music
  21. clip — for paper
  22. charge — electricity
  23. clip — a video
  24. charge — in control

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