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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — steady
  6. press — to push
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. firm — a company
  12. object — to protest
  13. track — a song
  14. pop — music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. object — a thing
  17. pop — soda
  18. wound — an injury
  19. press — newspapers
  20. firm — decided
  21. press — a publisher
  22. object — an aim
  23. track — a path
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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