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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 · lean · stand · mug · tube · net · stock · court

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. court — of a king
  4. tube — a container
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. charge — a price
  7. lean — thin
  8. stock — shares
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. net — in sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mug — a face
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. net — for catching
  16. charge — in control
  17. stock — goods
  18. mug — to rob
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. net — after costs
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stock — a soup base

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