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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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a music group
  6. press — newspapers
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — a price
  17. mate — a friend
  18. game — wild animals
  19. press — to push
  20. game — a match
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rule — government
  23. band — a ring
  24. rule — a law

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