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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: stock · charge · stem · lean · scale · chip · club · rock

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stock — goods
  7. charge — a price
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. charge — in control
  14. scale — in music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stem — to come from
  17. club — for golf
  18. chip — for betting
  19. club — a group
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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