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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. press — newspapers
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bass — low music
  5. charge — a price
  6. press — a publisher
  7. file — a line of people
  8. court — of law
  9. charge — in control
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. charge — electricity
  12. plane — a tool
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. file — a document
  18. bass — the fish
  19. press — to push
  20. roll — a list
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. foot — a measure

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