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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. object — an aim
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ball — a dance
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. charge — in control
  11. mate — to breed
  12. content — the amount
  13. saw — the tool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. charge — a price
  16. press — to push
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mate — a partner
  20. charge — electricity
  21. content — happy
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ball — a great time

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