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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
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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: last · press · charge · pit · court · band · club · hide

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. club — for dancing
  4. court — of a king
  5. press — a publisher
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. press — newspapers
  10. band — a music group
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. club — a group
  16. charge — a price
  17. pit — in a race
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. band — a ring
  20. club — for golf
  21. press — to push
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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