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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. charge — a price
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. key — for a lock
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bass — low music
  9. press — a publisher
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. charge — in control
  13. press — newspapers
  14. kick — in football
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. key — in music
  18. chair — a leader
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. root — the cause
  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