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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 · bound · band · mark · cabinet · bass · pit · stock

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stock — shares
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pit — a hole
  9. band — a ring
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mark — a grade
  16. band — a music group
  17. bass — low music
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bound — certain
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bass — the fish

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