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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: charge · land · stock · fine · court · can · rush · squash

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. court — for sport
  4. stock — shares
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. land — ground
  10. can — to be able to
  11. charge — a price
  12. land — a country
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — of law
  17. land — to come down
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stock — goods
  20. fine — high quality
  21. court — of a king
  22. fine — all right
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rush — to hurry

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