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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — a price
  3. chest — a box
  4. drill — army training
  5. charge — electricity
  6. press — to push
  7. charge — in control
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. press — newspapers
  10. band — a ring
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rule — a law
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. band — a music group
  21. bore — to drill
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bore — gave birth
  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