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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 120 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: object · press · bear · pitch · charge · net · season · wound

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. season — of the year
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. net — in sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. object — to protest
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. season — in sport
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. net — after costs
  23. press — newspapers
  24. charge — electricity

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