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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 120 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: arm · stock · charge · court · key · stem · rush · lean

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rush — hurry
  3. court — of law
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stock — shares
  6. charge — electricity
  7. court — of a king
  8. lean — thin
  9. charge — in control
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. court — for sport
  17. key — for a lock
  18. charge — a price
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. key — in music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. key — the most important part

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