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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. press — to push
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. march — the month
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. march — music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. march — the month

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