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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. press — to push
  3. chip — for betting
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — in music
  13. toast — bread
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. press — a publisher
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. press — newspapers
  23. capital — money
  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