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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: scale · pop · content · hand · stock · charge · rock · pass

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stock — goods
  3. content — the amount
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. charge — electricity
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rock — a stone
  9. scale — in music
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stock — shares
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rock — music
  14. charge — in control
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. charge — a price
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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