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

Word bank: last · press · pound · pop · chip · stock · arm · bulb

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pop — music
  4. last — finally
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — to push
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. last — to go on
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stock — shares
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. pound — a weight
  19. last — final
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stock — goods
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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