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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.

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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: charge · stock · pass · content · game · bowl · file · cap

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. content — the amount
  3. charge — a price
  4. cap — a lid
  5. content — happy
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. charge — electricity
  13. game — a match
  14. cap — a hat
  15. charge — in control
  16. file — a tool
  17. stock — goods
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pass — a permit
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. file — a document
  24. stock — shares

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