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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: charge · foot · stock · can · wake · board · wound · bulb

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — in control
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. board — a committee
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. bulb — for light
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. charge — a price
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stock — shares
  24. board — to get on

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