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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: stem · bank · press · firm · mine · jam · court · charge

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. press — to push
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — to come from
  6. court — of a king
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. bank — of a river
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. court — of law
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. press — newspapers
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. firm — steady
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bank — for money
  23. firm — a company
  24. court — for 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