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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
468
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: march · stock · chest · bass · ruler · fan · charge · calf

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — in control
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. march — the month
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — low music
  14. chest — a box
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. charge — a price
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fan — a supporter

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