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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: bound · jam · staff · last · mouse · charge · stock · straw

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. charge — a price
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stock — goods
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stock — shares
  12. bound — tied together
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. last — to go on
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. staff — a stick
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bound — certain
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. charge — in control
  24. last — final

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