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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bark · date · chair · stock · charge · kick · straw · ball

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stock — goods
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bark — to shout
  9. kick — in football
  10. stock — shares
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. date — the fruit
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. charge — a price
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. charge — in control

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