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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 116 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: mark · charge · mate · pitcher · sharp · stock · squash · net

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He took the fish out of 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. net — after costs
  3. stock — goods
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mate — to breed
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. charge — electricity
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mate — a partner
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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