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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. charge — a price
  5. game — a match
  6. pass — a permit
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. press — to push
  9. ball — a great time
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. press — newspapers
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. charge — electricity
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bore — gave birth

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