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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.

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: mouse · mark · straw · cabinet · charge · spring · present · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. charge — electricity
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — of water
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — goods
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. charge — a price
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. mark — a trace
  16. present — the time now
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. present — there
  19. stock — shares
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. present — a gift
  24. cabinet — ministers

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