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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 120 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. capital — money
  3. content — the amount
  4. season — in sport
  5. press — to push
  6. content — happy
  7. capital — a city
  8. charge — a price
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. kick — in football
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. press — a publisher
  15. season — of the year
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. charge — in control
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. charge — electricity
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. kick — with a leg

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