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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rest — a break
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pitch — completely
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. chip — for betting
  11. last — final
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bass — low music
  14. last — finally
  15. branch — a division
  16. bass — the fish
  17. clip — a video
  18. press — newspapers
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. last — to go on
  24. press — to push

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