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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. press — to push
  6. last — finally
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. last — final
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. march — the month
  14. chip — for betting
  15. dip — to sink
  16. scale — in music
  17. last — to go on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fork — in a road
  24. dip — a sauce

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