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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. saw — the tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — for betting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. press — to push
  16. bank — of a river
  17. press — a publisher
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bank — for money
  24. foot — a measure

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