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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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468
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: foot · cell · press · fork · mark · ground · charge · bound

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. bound — tied together
  3. charge — a price
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fork — in a road
  7. charge — in control
  8. press — to push
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ground — a position
  14. charge — electricity
  15. press — newspapers
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  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