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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. net — after costs
  12. foot — a measure
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. press — to push
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. wax — to grow
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — in sport
  23. charge — in control
  24. content — the amount

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