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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 120 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: snap · bat · rush · squash · scale · spell · charge · stock

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. squash — to crush
  9. spell — a short time
  10. charge — in control
  11. stock — goods
  12. scale — in music
  13. snap — to click
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. scale — size or range
  17. spell — letters
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. charge — a price
  20. squash — the sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. spell — magic
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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