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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. club — a group
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wax — to grow
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pit — in a race
  8. clip — a video
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. press — a publisher
  11. charge — in control
  12. mate — a partner
  13. game — a match
  14. charge — a price
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mate — to breed
  18. club — for dancing
  19. charge — electricity
  20. club — for golf
  21. press — to push
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wax — for sculpting

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