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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: fork · press · charge · face · fall · bass · club · pitcher

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. face — to point toward
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. face — to confront
  12. fall — the season
  13. club — a group
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. charge — electricity
  16. club — for golf
  17. bass — the fish
  18. press — a publisher
  19. charge — in control
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — to push
  23. fall — to drop
  24. charge — a price

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