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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 116 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. charge — in control
  19. press — to push
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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