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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: stock · pit · charge · spell · bass · ruler · swing · land

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spell — magic
  3. pit — a hole
  4. charge — a price
  5. land — a country
  6. stock — shares
  7. swing — to play on
  8. spell — letters
  9. swing — music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bass — low music
  20. stock — goods
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. ruler — for measuring

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