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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 120 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: bear · stock · branch · pound · charge · row · tube · current

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. current — happening now
  4. stock — shares
  5. current — electric
  6. branch — a division
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. tube — a container
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. current — of water
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. tube — the underground
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. charge — a price
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — a line
  24. stock — goods

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