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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: charge · march · stand · land · spring · nail · staff · stock

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. stock — goods
  3. spring — a coil
  4. charge — a price
  5. land — to come down
  6. stock — shares
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. land — ground
  11. charge — in control
  12. march — the month
  13. spring — of water
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — the month
  16. staff — employees
  17. spring — the season
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. march — music
  23. land — a country
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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