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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: charge · bass · land · press · chip · staff · can · stand

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chip — to eat
  3. press — newspapers
  4. land — to come down
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. press — to push
  7. land — a country
  8. can — to be able to
  9. chip — for betting
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bass — low music
  18. staff — employees
  19. land — ground
  20. charge — a price
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. charge — in control
  24. press — a publisher

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