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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fine — high quality
  6. band — a ring
  7. face — to confront
  8. press — a publisher
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. press — to push
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fine — all right
  17. band — a music group
  18. charge — electricity
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. charge — in control
  24. press — newspapers

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