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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: charge · pound · land · band · safe · wave · pitch · chair

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. charge — a price
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. land — to come down
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. band — a ring
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. land — ground
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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