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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. staff — a stick
  4. press — a publisher
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cap — of ice
  7. press — to push
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. perch — the fish
  12. tube — the underground
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — a price
  15. tube — a container
  16. cap — a hat
  17. staff — employees
  18. fine — all right
  19. press — newspapers
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — in control
  24. cap — a lid

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