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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: chest · press · arm · foot · charge · season · stick · stock

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. charge — a price
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chest — a box
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. press — a publisher
  11. season — in sport
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chest — of your body
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. press — to push
  20. season — of the year
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. charge — in control
  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