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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. row — to paddle
  6. key — for a lock
  7. chip — for betting
  8. key — in music
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. game — wild animals
  11. chip — to eat
  12. press — to push
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cue — for pool
  15. game — a match
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. cue — a signal
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cue — a hint

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