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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 did you ________________ them?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. press — newspapers
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wind — moving air
  6. charge — in control
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fine — all right
  9. field — a subject
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mug — a face
  14. content — the amount
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. charge — a price
  17. press — a publisher
  18. content — happy
  19. mug — a cup
  20. press — to push
  21. field — for sport
  22. fine — high quality
  23. field — farmland
  24. bulb — for light

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