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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: file · bat · wound · pitcher · plane · court · charge · press

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. press — a publisher
  8. charge — a price
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — electricity
  11. court — for sport
  12. charge — in control
  13. file — a tool
  14. court — of a king
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wound — an injury
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. court — of law
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bat — the animal
  23. press — to push
  24. file — a document

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