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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: ball · mate · stock · mine · craft · charge · arm · squash

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. charge — electricity
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stock — shares
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ball — a dance
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mate — a friend
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mate — a partner
  18. charge — a price
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mine — for digging
  21. charge — in control
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stock — goods

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