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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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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: stick · kid · charge · stock · wound · chest · patient · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stock — shares
  3. charge — in control
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stock — goods
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. charge — a price
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kid — child
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. wound — an injury
  21. kid — to tease
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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