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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. court — for sport
  5. charge — electricity
  6. press — to push
  7. scale — in music
  8. root — of a word
  9. charge — a price
  10. suit — clothes
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. suit — in cards
  14. field — farmland
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. root — the cause
  18. field — a subject
  19. root — of a plant
  20. court — of a king
  21. charge — in control
  22. court — of law
  23. field — for sport
  24. can — to be able to

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