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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: mug · stock · bat · wake · saw · charge · present · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. charge — in control
  4. present — there
  5. mug — a cup
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cap — of ice
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stock — goods
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mug — a face
  20. present — the time now
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. charge — a price
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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