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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 120 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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. content — happy
  4. press — a publisher
  5. content — the amount
  6. firm — steady
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — a price
  11. firm — decided
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. vault — a safe
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. charge — in control
  21. firm — a company
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. press — newspapers

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