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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 can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mate — a friend
  3. charge — a price
  4. press — a publisher
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. charge — in control
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. press — to push
  17. mate — to breed
  18. march — the month
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. march — music
  23. pound — a weight
  24. march — the month

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