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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: march · pop · stock · net · charge · rest · fall · kick

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. fall — the season
  3. kick — in football
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pop — to visit
  8. march — music
  9. net — for catching
  10. pop — soda
  11. stock — shares
  12. rest — a break
  13. fall — to drop
  14. march — the month
  15. net — in sport
  16. stock — goods
  17. march — the month
  18. net — after costs
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. charge — a price
  24. fall — to drop

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