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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.

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 · bass · ruler · rush · craft · charge · fine · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stock — goods
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — all right
  15. charge — in control
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. charge — a price
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bass — low music

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