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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. fall — the season
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. charge — in control
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. press — newspapers
  8. can — to be able to
  9. firm — a company
  10. tear — from crying
  11. firm — steady
  12. press — a publisher
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a match
  15. can — a tin
  16. firm — decided
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. tear — to rip
  22. game — wild animals
  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