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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: suit · cold · stem · jam · press · bat · staff · charge

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. charge — in control
  4. stem — to come from
  5. charge — a price
  6. suit — in cards
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cold — an illness
  11. staff — employees
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. press — newspapers
  17. staff — employees
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. suit — clothes
  20. charge — electricity
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bat — the animal

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