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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wax — to grow
  4. press — to push
  5. charge — a price
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. tube — a container
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. track — to keep track
  12. game — wild animals
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. game — a match
  19. charge — in control
  20. press — a publisher
  21. track — a path
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. track — a song
  24. tube — in a tire

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