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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: charge · mouse · wake · stand · stock · rock · rush · bass

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bass — low music
  12. rock — music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stock — shares
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stock — goods
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stand — on your feet

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