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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. firm — a company
  3. charge — a price
  4. press — to push
  5. pop — soda
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. foot — a measure
  8. firm — steady
  9. charge — in control
  10. firm — decided
  11. pop — to visit
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pop — music
  15. wake — a trail
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. charge — electricity
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. can — to be able to
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. can — a tin

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