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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.

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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. charge — a price
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rock — music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stock — goods
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. swing — music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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