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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. march — the month
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chip — to eat
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. deal — to handle
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. march — music
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. last — finally
  20. press — to push
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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