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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bowl · wound · ball · stock · charge · land · cue · spring

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. charge — a price
  11. ball — a dance
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. land — to come down
  18. cue — for pool
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. land — ground
  22. ball — a great time
  23. land — a country
  24. ball — a round shape

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