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

Word bank: charge · press · stick · leaves · ground · ruler · wound · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ground — crushed
  4. press — to push
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. charge — a price
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pound — a weight
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ground — a position
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. charge — in control
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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