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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pitch — completely
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. press — newspapers
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. press — a publisher
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mark — a trace
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cap — of ice
  21. scale — in music
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cap — a hat
  24. press — to push

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