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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. charge — a price
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pop — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pop — soda
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. press — to push

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