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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: press · land · charge · fork · march · spring · wave · pit

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. land — to come down
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. land — a country
  9. spring — of water
  10. fork — in a road
  11. press — newspapers
  12. charge — in control
  13. pit — in a race
  14. spring — a coil
  15. press — to push
  16. march — the month
  17. spring — the season
  18. charge — a price
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. land — ground
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wave — with your hand

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