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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: stock · squash · object · bowl · march · lean · charge · scale

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. charge — a price
  8. squash — the sport
  9. object — a thing
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — in control
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. march — the month
  17. stock — shares
  18. scale — in music
  19. stock — goods
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lean — to bend
  24. march — music

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