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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: stock · mine · kick · charge · present · scale · mate · bank

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bank — for money
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bank — of a river
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stock — shares
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. charge — in control
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. kick — in football
  15. bank — for money
  16. charge — a price
  17. present — the time now
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mate — to breed
  24. scale — in music

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