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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. press — to push
  13. present — the time now
  14. mug — a cup
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. present — a gift
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. pop — music

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