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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · squash · charge · stock · patient · nail · perch · degree

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. charge — a price
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mate — a friend
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. degree — temperature
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — electricity
  10. degree — from a university
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mate — a partner
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stock — shares
  17. squash — the sport
  18. charge — in control
  19. mate — to breed
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. degree — an amount
  24. patient — a sick person

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