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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: ruler · charge · stick · squash · stock · racket · game · cue

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cue — for pool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stock — goods
  7. cue — a hint
  8. squash — the sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cue — a signal
  13. charge — in control
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — shares
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. game — a match
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. ruler — for measuring

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