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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · object · prune · pitch · charge · stock · press · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pitch — completely
  7. object — an aim
  8. stock — shares
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stock — goods
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. press — newspapers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — a price
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — to push
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. charge — in control

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