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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 120 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. firm — a company
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cold — not warm
  6. press — a publisher
  7. season — in sport
  8. band — a ring
  9. season — of the year
  10. charge — a price
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. scale — in music
  14. band — a music group
  15. firm — decided
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. firm — steady
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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