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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. march — the month
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. press — to push
  7. march — music
  8. land — ground
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chip — to eat
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. land — to come down
  15. dip — to sink
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. press — newspapers
  19. land — a country
  20. press — a publisher
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. patient — a sick person

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