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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: bat · jam · wound · cell · stand · charge · stem · press

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. charge — in control
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — a price
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stem — to come from
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stand — to bear
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cell — in biology
  24. press — to push

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