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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. press — newspapers
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rash — a series
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. charge — a price
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fine — all right
  9. press — to push
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — high quality
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. game — a match
  23. charge — in control
  24. game — a kind of play

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