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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: staff · charge · can · wax · stock · roll · pass · date

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stock — goods
  4. staff — a stick
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. can — to be able to
  7. charge — in control
  8. roll — a cake
  9. staff — employees
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. roll — a list
  12. can — a tin
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. staff — employees
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stock — shares
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. charge — a price
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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