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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. can — a tin
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. charge — a price
  9. row — a line
  10. can — to be able to
  11. squash — the sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. can — a tin
  14. squash — to crush
  15. row — to paddle
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. scale — size or range
  18. charge — electricity
  19. press — newspapers
  20. scale — in music
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. roll — a list
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. roll — a cake

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