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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: charge · present · wake · bore · content · stem · jam · stock

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. charge — a price
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stem — to come from
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. present — the time now
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. content — happy
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bore — to drill
  16. present — a gift
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. content — the amount
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. present — there
  24. bore — to tire

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