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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. net — in sport
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rest — what's left
  9. press — to push
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rest — a break
  14. charge — a price
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — in control
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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