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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 · wound · stem · charge · court · root

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. court — of law
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — in control
  10. court — for sport
  11. root — of a word
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. press — a publisher
  14. charge — a price
  15. stem — to come from
  16. court — of a king
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push

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