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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: rock · game · jam · stock · cue · charge · rush · band

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. charge — a price
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rock — a stone
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. game — a match
  8. cue — a signal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rock — music
  11. charge — in control
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stock — shares
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stock — goods
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. cue — for pool
  20. band — a ring
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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