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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 · jam · branch · stock · fine · wake · wound · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fine — high quality
  3. charge — in control
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stock — goods
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. charge — a price
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fine — all right
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stock — shares
  24. branch — of a bank

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