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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: bore · deal · mug · pound · stand · charge · calf · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stock — goods
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bore — to drill
  15. charge — in control
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bore — to tire
  18. deal — to handle
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stand — for spectators

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