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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. can — a tin
  8. charge — in control
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fine — high quality
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stand — to bear
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. fine — all right
  19. can — a tin
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. charge — a price
  24. press — to push

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