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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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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: stock · chest · charge · bank · press · object · net · staff

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. charge — a price
  3. stock — shares
  4. net — for catching
  5. object — a thing
  6. stock — goods
  7. object — an aim
  8. bank — of a river
  9. chest — a box
  10. press — a publisher
  11. chest — of your body
  12. press — to push
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — electricity
  15. object — to protest
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — in control
  19. press — newspapers
  20. net — after costs
  21. staff — employees
  22. chest — of your body
  23. staff — a stick
  24. net — in sport

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