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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. swing — music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. press — to push
  5. fine — all right
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bound — certain
  8. chip — to eat
  9. press — a publisher
  10. land — a country
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bound — tied together
  15. land — to come down
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. land — ground
  20. chair — a leader
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. swing — in golf

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