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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: stock · rock · board · fan · drill · tube · toast · charge

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. toast — bread
  4. charge — electricity
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. board — a committee
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. tube — a container
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stock — shares
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stock — goods
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. board — to get on
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — army training
  22. charge — in control
  23. drill — the tool
  24. charge — a price

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