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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: charge · roll · track · stock · pass · calf · perch · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. kid — child
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. stock — goods
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — a price
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — a list
  15. pass — a permit
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stock — shares
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. calf — a young animal

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