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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: bat · mine · mug · lean · charge · fan · stock · vault

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. charge — a price
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — shares
  10. mug — a face
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. vault — a safe
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stock — goods

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