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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 116 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: content · stock · firm · deal · ball · charge · press · last

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. content — the amount
  3. firm — decided
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stock — goods
  6. deal — to handle
  7. charge — in control
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. charge — a price
  10. firm — a company
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. charge — electricity
  14. last — final
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. press — newspapers
  17. last — to go on
  18. firm — steady
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. last — finally
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. content — happy

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