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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 124 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: jam · bowl · pitcher · charge · bound · stock · spring · mark

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bound — certain
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spring — of water
  6. stock — shares
  7. mark — a grade
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bound — obliged
  15. spring — the season
  16. stock — goods
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. charge — in control
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bowl — a dish

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