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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 120 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: press · current · capital · bound · band · sharp · ground · charge

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bound — obliged
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ground — a position
  5. capital — money
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bound — tied together
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bound — certain
  13. ground — crushed
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. charge — a price
  19. band — a music group
  20. press — a publisher
  21. charge — in control
  22. capital — a city
  23. press — to push
  24. sharp — clever

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