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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cell — a phone
  6. press — to push
  7. file — a tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. march — the month
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. file — a document
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bowl — to roll

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