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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. game — a match
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chip — to eat
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. march — music
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ground — a position
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ground — crushed
  19. chip — for betting
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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