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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. branch — a division
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. march — music
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. press — to push
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chip — for betting
  22. march — the month
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. march — the month

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