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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mate — to breed
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. current — happening now
  7. snap — to click
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. capital — money
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. capital — a city
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. press — a publisher
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. press — to push
  21. chip — for betting
  22. press — newspapers
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chip — to eat

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