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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 120 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: squash · mate · ball · root · net · charge · stock · bulb

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mate — a partner
  6. root — of a plant
  7. squash — to crush
  8. charge — electricity
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. root — of a word
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — for catching
  18. charge — in control
  19. root — the cause
  20. stock — shares
  21. charge — a price
  22. stock — goods
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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