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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — a cup
  7. ground — a position
  8. press — to push
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. press — a publisher
  18. clip — for paper
  19. charge — a price
  20. mug — a face
  21. ground — the earth
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mug — to rob

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