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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. net — after costs
  4. file — a line of people
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. net — in sport
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. press — a publisher
  9. deal — to handle
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. file — a tool
  12. net — for catching
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. file — a document
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. fall — to drop
  24. nail — on a finger

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