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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stock — goods
  8. game — a match
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. charge — in control
  12. key — in music
  13. stock — shares
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. key — for a lock
  19. squash — to crush
  20. game — wild animals
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. charge — a price
  23. craft — boats
  24. squash — the sport

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