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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. field — for sport
  3. current — happening now
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. squash — to crush
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. field — a subject
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. current — electric
  17. squash — the sport
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wax — to grow
  21. field — farmland
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. current — of water
  24. press — to push

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