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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. press — a publisher
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. clip — a video
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mate — a friend
  8. firm — a company
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. firm — steady
  11. press — to push
  12. stock — goods
  13. firm — decided
  14. clip — to cut
  15. press — newspapers
  16. race — a contest
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stock — shares
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mate — a partner

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