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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: firm · coach · roll · pop · perch · chest · charge · stock

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chest — of your body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — shares
  5. pop — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. firm — steady
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. firm — decided
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pop — soda
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. charge — a price
  15. roll — a list
  16. pop — to visit
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stock — goods
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. firm — a company

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