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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bound · spring · dip · charge · mark · chair · stock · ball

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bound — obliged
  7. charge — in control
  8. spring — of water
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spring — the season
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mark — a trace
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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