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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: cue · stock · content · charge · land · bowl · bound · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. land — to come down
  5. bound — tied together
  6. content — happy
  7. bound — certain
  8. charge — in control
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stock — goods
  14. content — the amount
  15. charge — electricity
  16. land — a country
  17. stock — shares
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. land — ground
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. charge — a price
  24. cue — a signal

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