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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: can · ball · stem · mark · bound · fine · charge · stock

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fine — all right
  7. bound — obliged
  8. charge — a price
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ball — a dance
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. charge — in control
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bound — certain
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bound — tied together

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