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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. land — a country
  3. press — newspapers
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. kid — child
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rock — music
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. toast — bread
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cell — a phone
  17. press — to push
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bat — the animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. land — ground
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. land — to come down

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