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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chip — for betting
  5. race — humankind
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. press — newspapers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bass — low music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. race — a contest
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bass — the fish
  18. press — to push
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. game — a match
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. branch — a division
  24. game — wild animals

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