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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · arm · pit · court · press · chip · lean · bay

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — a publisher
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. court — for sport
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. court — of law
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. court — of a king
  18. lean — to bend
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. press — to push
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lean — thin
  24. mine — for digging

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