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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 116 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stock — shares
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. press — to push
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stock — goods
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. game — a kind of play
  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