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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 116 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
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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: tear · charge · hand · stock · pass · rule

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stock — goods
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rule — government
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. hand — help
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rule — a law
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. 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