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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 · can · board · roll · mug · tube · stock · game

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. charge — electricity
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. mug — to rob
  8. can — a tin
  9. mug — a cup
  10. game — a match
  11. board — to get on
  12. roll — a list
  13. mug — a face
  14. game — wild animals
  15. tube — a container
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stock — shares
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stock — goods
  21. can — to be able to
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. can — a tin

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