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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. charge — electricity
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bass — low music
  6. mate — a friend
  7. game — a match
  8. object — a thing
  9. charge — in control
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. press — to push
  12. content — the amount
  13. mate — a partner
  14. object — an aim
  15. content — happy
  16. charge — a price
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bass — the fish
  19. game — wild animals
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. object — to protest
  24. press — a publisher

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