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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: chest · foot · fine · cap · charge · stock · can · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. can — a tin
  3. charge — a price
  4. stock — shares
  5. can — to be able to
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. can — a tin
  10. stock — goods
  11. chest — a box
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fine — all right
  15. cap — a lid
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cap — a hat
  18. chest — of your body
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fine — high quality
  22. foot — a measure
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stock — a soup base

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