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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · band · stock · charge · straw · cabinet · field · cold

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cold — an illness
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stock — shares
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. field — farmland
  11. band — a music group
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. band — a ring
  15. charge — a price
  16. field — for sport
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stock — goods
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. field — a subject
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cold — not warm
  24. charge — electricity

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