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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: press · patient · mark · club · plane · charge · court · ground

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. club — for golf
  3. ground — crushed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. press — a publisher
  8. club — for dancing
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mark — a grade
  12. press — to push
  13. charge — in control
  14. club — a group
  15. mark — a trace
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ground — a position
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. court — of a king
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — the earth
  24. plane — a tool

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