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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: fan · stock · suit · squash · branch · charge · tube · band

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stock — goods
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. charge — in control
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stock — shares
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. charge — electricity
  22. suit — to fit
  23. band — a music group
  24. charge — a price

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