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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. drill — the tool
  5. press — to push
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pound — a weight
  12. race — a contest
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. race — the arms race
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chip — for betting
  18. race — humankind
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rock — a stone
  22. drill — army training
  23. rock — music
  24. pound — for dogs

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