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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. press — a publisher
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bulb — for light
  7. roll — a list
  8. staff — employees
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. staff — employees
  11. land — to come down
  12. press — to push
  13. bat — the animal
  14. charge — in control
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. land — a country
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. land — ground
  22. charge — a price
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bulb — for light

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