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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: charge · court · rock · press · lie · stick · branch · cap

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rock — music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rock — a stone
  5. court — of law
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. charge — in control
  8. branch — a division
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. press — newspapers
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. charge — a price
  20. press — to push
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cap — a hat
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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