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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 116 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: stock · mine · mate · degree · craft · fine · rash · charge

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stock — shares
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fine — all right
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rash — a series
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stock — goods
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mate — to breed
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. charge — a price
  24. craft — boats

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