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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. game — a match
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. press — newspapers
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. club — a group
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. press — to push
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. club — for golf
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. charge — in control
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. club — for dancing
  19. press — a publisher
  20. plane — a tool
  21. game — wild animals
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. game — a kind of play

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