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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. foot — a measure
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. charge — in control
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. press — a publisher
  12. prune — to trim
  13. press — newspapers
  14. charge — a price
  15. prune — to trim
  16. press — to push
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. row — a line
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. arm — part of the body

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