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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 116 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: rock · file · charge · bark · stock · straw · patient · chip

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. file — a document
  11. charge — in control
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. file — a tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — goods
  17. rock — music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stock — shares
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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