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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: stock · pit · spell · stand · bark · charge · clip · scale

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. charge — in control
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. scale — size or range
  7. spell — letters
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. charge — a price
  16. clip — a video
  17. scale — in music
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bark — to shout
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. charge — electricity

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