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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chip — for betting
  5. press — to push
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cue — a signal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. sharp — clever
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. chip — to eat
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rash — a series
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. degree — from a university
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cue — a hint

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