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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mate — a partner
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. press — to push
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pop — to visit
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mug — a cup
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stand — to bear
  17. press — a publisher
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pop — music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mug — a face
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pop — soda

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