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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: fork · stock · charge · game · wave · snap · bat · bay

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. fork — in a road
  8. charge — a price
  9. stock — goods
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. game — a match
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. snap — to click
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stock — shares
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. charge — in control

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