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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: net · plane · wound · mate · bank · charge · row · stock

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stock — goods
  3. net — after costs
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bank — of a river
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. row — a line
  8. mate — a partner
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mate — a friend
  12. net — in sport
  13. mate — to breed
  14. charge — a price
  15. bank — for money
  16. wound — an injury
  17. net — for catching
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. stock — shares

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