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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. charge — electricity
  6. press — newspapers
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. press — to push
  9. row — a line
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. row — to paddle
  13. charge — in control
  14. pit — a hole
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bass — low music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hand — help
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bass — the fish
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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