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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. content — the amount
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. charge — a price
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. charge — in control
  12. press — to push
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. press — newspapers
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. content — happy
  23. charge — electricity
  24. content — videos and posts

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