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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: rash · cap · stand · stock · charge · sharp · chair · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rash — a series
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cap — a lid
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stock — shares
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stand — to bear

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