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

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. charge — in control
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — newspapers
  6. charge — electricity
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mine — for digging
  9. kid — child
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. press — to push
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pass — a permit
  17. scale — size or range
  18. charge — a price

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