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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. net — after costs
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. charge — electricity
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. suit — to fit
  10. charge — a price
  11. suit — in cards
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. net — in sport
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. net — for catching
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. charge — in control

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