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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: spell · charge · season · staff · track · mouse · mate · stock

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. track — a song
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stock — goods
  6. track — a path
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. season — of the year
  10. spell — a short time
  11. season — in sport
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spell — letters
  14. mate — to breed
  15. staff — employees
  16. mate — a partner
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mate — a friend
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — shares
  21. spell — magic
  22. charge — in control
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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