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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. last — to go on
  3. bass — the fish
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. press — to push
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. last — finally
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fine — all right
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. charge — in control
  15. press — newspapers
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bass — low music
  18. fine — high quality
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. vault — a safe
  24. last — final

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