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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stock — shares
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stock — goods
  8. charge — a price
  9. chip — for betting
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. band — a ring
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. prune — to trim
  19. band — a music group
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. charge — in control
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stand — for spectators

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