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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.

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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: club · charge · field · wave · kick · press

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. press — a publisher
  3. club — a group
  4. charge — a price
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. charge — in control
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. field — farmland
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. field — a subject
  13. charge — electricity
  14. field — for sport
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. club — for golf

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