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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: bound · stock · charge · march · stick · track · roll · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. march — music
  3. fine — all right
  4. march — the month
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. march — the month
  14. track — to keep track
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. roll — a cake
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. bound — certain
  21. roll — a list
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. charge — electricity

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