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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 · toast · vault · stock · jam · spell · present · cap

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. charge — a price
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stock — goods
  7. spell — letters
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spell — a short time
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cap — a hat
  14. vault — a safe
  15. toast — bread
  16. cap — a lid
  17. present — the time now
  18. spell — magic
  19. charge — in control
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stock — shares
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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