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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: tube · sharp · cabinet · cap · bound · trunk · charge · stock

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tube — the underground
  9. charge — in control
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stock — shares
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. tube — a container
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cap — a lid
  24. sharp — clever

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