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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. key — in music
  6. present — there
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. key — the most important part
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. charge — electricity
  15. key — for a lock
  16. present — a gift
  17. hand — in cards
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. hand — help
  22. present — the time now
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. net — after costs

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