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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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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stock — goods
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — shares
  7. deal — to handle
  8. charge — in control
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pass — a permit
  12. charge — a price
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rush — hurry
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wound — an injury
  24. nail — on a finger

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