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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · scale · net · tube · charge · current · lean · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. press — to push
  3. current — happening now
  4. court — of a king
  5. net — after costs
  6. tube — a container
  7. net — in sport
  8. charge — a price
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. current — of water
  11. scale — size or range
  12. net — for catching
  13. press — newspapers
  14. court — of law
  15. lean — to bend
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. press — a publisher
  20. scale — in music
  21. charge — in control
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. current — electric
  24. tube — the underground

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