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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. press — to push
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. content — the amount
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stand — to bear
  8. roll — a list
  9. press — a publisher
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. charge — in control
  13. pound — a weight
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. press — newspapers
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. charge — a price
  18. roll — a cake
  19. content — happy
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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