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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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. cell — a phone
  4. field — for sport
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. field — a subject
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. press — a publisher
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cell — in biology
  12. vault — a safe
  13. spring — the season
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. field — farmland
  20. spring — of water
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. spring — a coil

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