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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ball — a dance
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. can — a tin
  11. press — to push
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — a video
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. clip — to cut
  20. chair — a leader
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — to sit on

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