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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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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. squash — the sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — a price
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. charge — in control
  19. stock — shares
  20. mate — to breed
  21. wound — an injury
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stock — goods

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