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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: cabinet · perch · stem · hide · rush · stock · chip · charge

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stem — to come from
  4. perch — the fish
  5. charge — a price
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. chip — for betting
  8. charge — in control
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stock — goods
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. charge — electricity
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stock — shares

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