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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. roll — a list
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. press — to push
  5. charge — in control
  6. pound — a weight
  7. club — for dancing
  8. charge — a price
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. charge — electricity
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. roll — a cake
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. roll — on a 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