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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: rush · charge · mine · rest · stock · bark · bear · pound

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stock — shares
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stock — goods
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rest — what's left
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rest — a break
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. charge — in control
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. charge — a price
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stock — a soup base

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