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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: press · pitcher · mark · bass · wave · charge · saw · spring

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. charge — a price
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. charge — in control
  8. press — to push
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spring — of water
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bass — the fish
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bass — low music
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mark — a grade
  19. press — a publisher
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. spring — the season
  22. charge — electricity
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mark — to pay attention

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