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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: squash · stock · charge · deal · saw · net · craft · arm

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. deal — to handle
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. charge — in control
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stock — goods
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. squash — the sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. stock — shares
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. net — in 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