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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. club — for golf
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. club — for dancing
  8. charge — electricity
  9. club — a group
  10. charge — a price
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — to push
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. root — of a word
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. root — of a plant
  23. press — a publisher
  24. root — the cause

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