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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. kid — child
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. row — to paddle
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. dip — to sink
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pop — music
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. press — a publisher
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. row — a line
  19. chip — to eat
  20. press — to push
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. saw — the tool
  23. press — newspapers
  24. row — a quarrel

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