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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. chest — a box
  3. chip — for betting
  4. court — of a king
  5. mate — to breed
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stock — goods
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. court — of law
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chest — of your body
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — shares
  18. chest — of your body
  19. court — for sport
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. press — to push
  22. toast — bread
  23. chip — to eat
  24. press — newspapers

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