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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.

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: bank · stick · stock · tube · racket · march · rash · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stock — goods
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bank — for money
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tube — a container
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — a price
  18. rash — a series
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stock — shares
  21. bank — for money
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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