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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. last — final
  3. press — newspapers
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cue — for pool
  6. board — a committee
  7. charge — a price
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chest — a box
  11. chip — for betting
  12. press — to push
  13. last — to go on
  14. charge — in control
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. last — finally
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. board — to get on
  23. press — a publisher
  24. chest — of your body

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