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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. press — a publisher
  8. last — final
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pop — soda
  11. suit — clothes
  12. last — finally
  13. march — music
  14. pop — music
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. march — the month
  18. fall — the season
  19. press — to push
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — for betting
  22. march — the month
  23. last — to go on
  24. press — newspapers

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