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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: charge · land · net · chair · bay · press · pound · hand

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. press — newspapers
  9. land — ground
  10. press — a publisher
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. net — after costs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. hand — in cards
  20. land — a country
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. land — to come down
  24. hand — help

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