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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. press — a publisher
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. ball — a great time
  7. field — for sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. toast — bread
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. land — ground
  15. field — farmland
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. field — a subject
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. land — a country
  20. ball — a dance
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. press — newspapers
  23. land — to come down
  24. press — to push

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