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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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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 · pitch · rule · charge · wave · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rule — a law
  5. charge — a price
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rest — a break
  8. charge — in control
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. press — to push
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rule — government

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