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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: cap · fall · charge · jam · pitcher · lean · stock · swing

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cap — of ice
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stock — shares
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stock — goods
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. charge — in control
  16. cap — a lid
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lean — to bend
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. swing — music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lean — to rest against

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