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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: jam · hand · squash · shower · charge · cap · hide · stock

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. charge — a price
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stock — shares
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — rain
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. charge — in control
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. squash — to crush
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cap — a lid
  16. charge — electricity
  17. hand — help
  18. stock — goods
  19. cap — of ice
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cap — a hat

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