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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. foot — a measure
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wake — a trail
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pop — soda
  11. press — to push
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pop — music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pop — to visit
  17. firm — steady
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. firm — a company
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. press — a publisher
  24. firm — decided

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