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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. clip — to cut
  6. present — the time now
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. current — of water
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. clip — a video
  11. current — electric
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. clip — for paper
  18. press — to push
  19. rock — music
  20. current — happening now
  21. charge — a price
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. present — a gift

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