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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — a publisher
  7. game — a match
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — a group
  11. mug — a face
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mug — to rob
  16. press — newspapers
  17. club — for dancing
  18. charge — in control
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. press — to push
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. club — for golf

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