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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: charge · kick · fine · bound · land · pass · stick · press

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. land — to come down
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. kick — in football
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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