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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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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: patient · track · charge · ball · stock · snap · racket · squash

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ball — a dance
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stock — shares
  6. track — a song
  7. squash — the sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. track — a path
  10. ball — a great time
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. charge — in control
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — goods
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. charge — a price
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. snap — to click

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