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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 120 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: stock · charge · racket · kid · rush · bass · trunk · rule

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bass — low music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. charge — a price
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rule — a law
  10. bass — the fish
  11. kid — child
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. kid — to tease
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rule — government

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