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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. press — to push
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chip — to eat
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stock — goods
  9. press — a publisher
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mate — to breed
  15. swing — in golf
  16. staff — a stick
  17. swing — to play on
  18. press — newspapers
  19. suit — clothes
  20. swing — music
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. season — of the year
  23. stock — shares
  24. mate — a friend

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