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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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. rock — music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rock — a stone
  6. can — a tin
  7. game — wild animals
  8. press — newspapers
  9. charge — electricity
  10. press — a publisher
  11. can — a tin
  12. charge — a price
  13. can — to be able to
  14. row — to paddle
  15. game — a match
  16. row — a line
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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