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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: firm · bass · row · press · field · foot · chair · charge

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. charge — in control
  3. press — to push
  4. foot — a measure
  5. row — to paddle
  6. field — for sport
  7. row — a line
  8. charge — electricity
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. charge — a price
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. field — farmland
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. firm — a company
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bass — low music
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. field — a subject
  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