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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 120 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: stock · present · march · trunk · lash · rash · charge · net

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. net — in sport
  5. present — there
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stock — shares
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rash — hasty
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. net — after costs
  12. charge — electricity
  13. present — a gift
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. net — for catching
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. present — the time now
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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