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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chip — for betting
  3. band — a ring
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. suit — clothes
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. press — to push
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. season — of the year
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. ground — a position
  12. chip — to eat
  13. season — in sport
  14. press — a publisher
  15. key — in music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wind — moving air
  19. band — a music group
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wind — moving air
  22. press — newspapers
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ground — the earth

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