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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: cabinet · pitch · current · stock · charge · rush · squash · stick

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — electric
  3. charge — a price
  4. stock — goods
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. current — happening now
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stock — shares
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. current — of water
  24. squash — the 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