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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. press — to push
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. charge — electricity
  6. court — of law
  7. game — a match
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. firm — decided
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. press — newspapers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. charge — a price
  17. court — for sport
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. court — of a king
  24. game — wild animals

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