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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: board · mouse · charge · rock · scale · snap · toast · squash

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. rock — music
  5. charge — a price
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. scale — size or range
  8. board — a committee
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. squash — the sport
  16. snap — to click
  17. squash — to crush
  18. toast — bread
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. scale — in music

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