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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. court — for sport
  3. charge — electricity
  4. file — a document
  5. root — of a word
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. root — the cause
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. capital — a city
  11. charge — in control
  12. court — of law
  13. capital — money
  14. bark — to shout
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. file — a line of people
  17. root — of a plant
  18. press — newspapers
  19. file — a tool
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. charge — a price
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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