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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: racket · bound · press · bowl · nail · field · prune · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bound — tied together
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — certain
  5. field — for sport
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. press — newspapers
  8. charge — in control
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. press — to push
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. press — a publisher
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. charge — a price
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bound — obliged
  24. nail — for a hammer

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