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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. field — for sport
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. court — of a king
  6. race — the arms race
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. charge — a price
  12. press — to push
  13. court — for sport
  14. race — humankind
  15. court — of law
  16. race — a contest
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wound — an injury
  19. field — a subject
  20. charge — electricity
  21. press — newspapers
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. field — farmland

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