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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: dip · stock · cabinet · bat · charge · foot · object · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. object — a thing
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. charge — a price
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stock — shares
  7. object — to protest
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. dip — to sink
  10. object — an aim
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. game — a match
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — wild animals
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. stock — goods
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stock — a soup base

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