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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.

Words on the sheet
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: ground · charge · racket · coach · press · saw · present · kid

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. charge — electricity
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kid — child
  6. ground — a position
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. saw — the tool
  9. press — newspapers
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. charge — in control
  12. present — the time now
  13. press — to push
  14. ground — the earth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ground — crushed
  21. charge — a price
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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