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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. perch — the fish
  4. tube — the underground
  5. press — newspapers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. content — happy
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. scale — in music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. scale — size or range
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. content — the amount
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tube — a container
  24. lie — to recline

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