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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: charge · press · clip · patient · chair · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — for paper
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stand — to bear
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. charge — a price
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. press — a publisher
  10. charge — in control
  11. press — to push
  12. chair — a leader
  13. charge — electricity
  14. press — newspapers
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. patient — a sick person

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