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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: charge · press · ruler · present · stock · cell · court · cold

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cold — an illness
  3. press — to push
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. court — of a king
  10. charge — in control
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. court — for sport
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stock — goods
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stock — shares
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. court — of law
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. cell — a phone

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