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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: pop · court · charge · press · roll · stock · firm · stick

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. roll — a list
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pop — music
  8. charge — in control
  9. court — for sport
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pop — to visit
  12. press — to push
  13. firm — decided
  14. court — of a king
  15. stock — goods
  16. press — a publisher
  17. firm — a company
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. charge — a price
  20. court — of law
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pop — soda
  23. firm — steady
  24. stock — shares

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