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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. tube — a container
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — a publisher
  7. firm — steady
  8. press — to push
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. foot — a measure
  12. chip — to eat
  13. firm — a company
  14. chip — for betting
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. tube — the underground
  17. firm — decided
  18. vault — a safe
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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