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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: pitcher · fall · lie · charge · degree · net · patient · press

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. fall — the season
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — for catching
  5. press — newspapers
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — to drop
  10. charge — electricity
  11. degree — from a university
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. press — to push
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. charge — a price
  23. degree — temperature
  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