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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 · bat · bear · coach · vault · row · current · stock

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. row — a line
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. charge — in control
  6. stock — goods
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bat — the animal
  12. current — electric
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. vault — a safe
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. current — happening now
  19. row — to paddle
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. charge — a price
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. current — of water
  24. bear — the animal

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