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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: rock · hide · firm · charge · roll · stock · scale · snap

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. charge — in control
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. scale — size or range
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. snap — to click
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. roll — a list
  24. hide — animal skin

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