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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: plane · charge · content · press · chair · stock · cell · dip

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stock — goods
  4. content — the amount
  5. plane — a tool
  6. content — happy
  7. press — newspapers
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. charge — electricity
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cell — a phone
  12. dip — to sink
  13. charge — in control
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chair — a leader
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. press — to push
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cell — in biology
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stock — shares
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. charge — a price

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