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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
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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: rest · saw · squash · face · charge · stock · ground · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. charge — electricity
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rest — what's left
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rest — what's left
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ground — a position
  11. stock — shares
  12. rest — a break
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ground — crushed
  18. squash — the sport
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stock — goods
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. saw — the tool

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