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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. press — a publisher
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rule — a law
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. chip — for betting
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. clip — a video
  12. rule — government
  13. clip — to cut
  14. file — a tool
  15. press — to push
  16. firm — a company
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. file — a document
  20. press — newspapers
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bowl — a football final

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