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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: lean · stock · land · can · date · firm · last · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. land — a country
  3. lean — thin
  4. land — ground
  5. last — final
  6. firm — a company
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. land — to come down
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. firm — steady
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stock — goods
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — shares
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. firm — decided
  22. last — finally
  23. date — the fruit
  24. last — to go on

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