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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. field — for sport
  3. charge — electricity
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. press — to push
  11. can — a tin
  12. press — a publisher
  13. field — a subject
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — in music
  16. field — farmland
  17. can — to be able to
  18. press — newspapers

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