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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. charge — electricity
  3. track — to keep track
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — a price
  10. rule — a law
  11. charge — in control
  12. press — to push
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. root — of a plant
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. root — the cause
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. press — a publisher
  21. root — of a word
  22. track — a path
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rule — government

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