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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: wound · stock · tube · charge · stand · racket · march · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. firm — a company
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — a container
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — to bear
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — shares
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. firm — steady
  18. stock — goods
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. march — music

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