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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. court — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. craft — a skill
  10. press — a publisher
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. charge — a price
  14. court — of a king
  15. charge — electricity
  16. press — to push
  17. fall — to drop
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. craft — boats
  22. press — newspapers
  23. court — of law
  24. fall — the season

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