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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: cap · mine · charge · rock · wave · wake · foot · stock

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stock — goods
  7. rock — a stone
  8. foot — a measure
  9. charge — a price
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rock — music
  14. stock — shares
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mine — for digging
  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