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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: jam · last · bound · stock · mine · perch · charge · net

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. net — for catching
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. net — after costs
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bound — certain
  10. last — finally
  11. perch — the fish
  12. last — to go on
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bound — tied together
  15. net — in sport
  16. last — final
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. stock — shares
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. charge — in control
  24. mine — belonging to me

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