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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · stock · fan · lean · cabinet · charge · kid · staff

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. charge — in control
  3. court — for sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. court — of law
  9. lean — thin
  10. kid — child
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stock — goods
  14. court — of a king
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stock — shares
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. staff — employees
  20. charge — a price
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. staff — a stick
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fan — a supporter

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