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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: pop · scale · stick · can · hand · charge · stock · trunk

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. charge — a price
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. can — to be able to
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pop — to visit
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. scale — in music
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. can — a tin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stock — shares
  22. charge — in control
  23. can — a tin
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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