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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 124 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chip — to eat
  4. spell — letters
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. tube — a container
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. spell — a short time
  10. track — a song
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spell — magic
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. track — a path
  23. press — to push
  24. squash — to crush

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