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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: pitcher · pound · pop · press · net · charge · bat · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. press — to push
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. charge — in control
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. press — a publisher
  16. net — in sport
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pound — a weight

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