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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — to push
  4. charge — a price
  5. stand — to bear
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. race — a contest
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. saw — the tool
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. press — newspapers
  15. game — wild animals
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. race — the arms race
  18. charge — in control
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. race — humankind
  23. game — a match
  24. saw — the tool

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