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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: dip · stock · foot · last · arm · press · land · charge

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. land — ground
  3. last — finally
  4. stock — goods
  5. dip — to sink
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. last — final
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. charge — electricity
  10. foot — a measure
  11. land — a country
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. press — a publisher
  14. charge — a price
  15. land — to come down
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. charge — in control
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. press — newspapers
  20. last — to go on
  21. stock — shares
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  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