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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: snap · charge · wind · club · root · rash · stock · bowl

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. club — a group
  3. charge — in control
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stock — shares
  8. rash — hasty
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stock — goods
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. club — for golf
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rash — a series
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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