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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: stick · pitcher · fork · wave · ground · press · charge · court

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. court — of law
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. court — of a king
  7. press — to push
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — in control
  11. fork — in a road
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ground — crushed

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