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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mate — a friend
  3. charge — electricity
  4. net — after costs
  5. mate — to breed
  6. charge — in control
  7. rule — a law
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mate — a partner
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. net — for catching
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. press — to push
  17. net — in sport
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bass — the fish
  20. board — a committee
  21. charge — a price
  22. board — to get on
  23. rule — government
  24. press — a publisher

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