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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. game — a match
  3. rock — a stone
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. press — to push
  6. current — of water
  7. press — a publisher
  8. field — farmland
  9. current — electric
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. game — wild animals
  15. field — for sport
  16. rock — music
  17. press — newspapers
  18. plane — a tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. current — happening now
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. field — a subject
  23. charge — in control
  24. deal — to handle

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