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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: press · safe · charge · pitcher · firm · wake · band · fine

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. press — to push
  3. firm — steady
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. firm — decided
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wake — a trail
  14. firm — a company
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. band — a ring
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. charge — a price
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — newspapers
  23. charge — in control
  24. fine — all right

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