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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: bat · stock · charge · mark · board · rock · firm · tear

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bat — the animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. charge — in control
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mark — a grade
  10. charge — a price
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rock — music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. board — a committee
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stock — shares
  20. board — to get on
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bat — for baseball

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