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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wax — to grow
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. present — there
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. present — the time now
  13. press — to push
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. kid — to tease
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. press — a publisher
  22. scale — in music
  23. kid — child
  24. stock — goods

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