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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cell — in biology
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. net — for catching
  5. chip — to eat
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. chip — for betting
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. net — in sport
  11. kick — in football
  12. cell — a phone
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. net — after costs
  17. object — to protest
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. foot — a measure
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. press — to push
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cell — in a prison

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