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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. ground — a position
  5. press — to push
  6. shower — rain
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pop — music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pop — soda
  18. charge — a price
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ground — crushed
  21. charge — in control
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fork — in a road

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