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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cap — of ice
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. swing — to play on
  5. charge — electricity
  6. file — a line of people
  7. ground — a position
  8. press — a publisher
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — the earth
  11. file — a tool
  12. charge — a price
  13. cap — a hat
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. charge — in control
  17. press — to push
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ground — crushed
  20. swing — music
  21. land — ground
  22. file — a document
  23. swing — in golf
  24. arm — a part of something

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