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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 120 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: mark · staff · fan · bat · charge · stock · tube · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mark — a grade
  5. charge — in control
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stock — shares
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. charge — a price
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stock — goods
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tube — a container

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