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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: charge · board · rest · stock · club · toast · lean · bat

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. charge — in control
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rest — a break
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. toast — bread
  9. charge — electricity
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stock — shares
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — a group
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. board — to get on
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. charge — a price
  20. club — for golf
  21. stock — goods
  22. lean — thin
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stock — a soup base

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