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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: swing · roll · net · stock · jam · ground · fork · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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. ground — the earth
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. swing — music
  6. net — after costs
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ground — crushed
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stock — shares
  14. net — for catching
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. roll — a list
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. swing — to play on
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. swing — in golf
  23. ground — a position
  24. fork — a garden tool

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