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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. press — to push
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mark — a grade
  6. drill — army training
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. charge — in control
  9. mine — for digging
  10. press — newspapers
  11. charge — electricity
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mark — a trace
  18. board — to get on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. drill — the tool
  21. board — a committee
  22. foot — a measure
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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