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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: band · season · mouse · stick · stock · pitcher · capital · charge

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. capital — a city
  7. stock — shares
  8. band — a music group
  9. season — of the year
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. charge — a price
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. band — a ring
  15. capital — money
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stock — goods
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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