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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: wind · press · pitch · saw · charge · hand · rock · bound

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bound — certain
  6. rock — a stone
  7. hand — help
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hand — in cards
  11. charge — electricity
  12. saw — the tool
  13. press — to push
  14. rock — music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. charge — in control
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bound — tied together
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pitch — completely
  24. charge — a price

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