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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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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 · pass · foot · clip · stick · snap · chair

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. charge — a price
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stock — shares
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. clip — for paper
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. snap — to click
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. clip — to cut
  21. charge — in control
  22. clip — a video
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pass — a permit

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