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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 116 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: present · stick · bowl · ruler · bay · stock · rock · charge

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. present — a gift
  3. rock — music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stock — shares
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stock — goods
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. charge — in control
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. charge — a price
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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