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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 120 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 · stock · band · coach · saw · present

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stock — goods
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. present — a gift
  10. stock — shares
  11. band — a music group
  12. charge — electricity
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. charge — a price
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. charge — in control
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. band — a ring

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