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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: stand · net · row · cap · fan · charge · root · press

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. charge — in control
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. row — a line
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cap — of ice
  7. charge — electricity
  8. net — for catching
  9. press — to push
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cap — a hat
  13. root — of a plant
  14. net — after costs
  15. charge — a price
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stand — to bear
  20. root — of a word
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — the cause

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