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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. swing — to play on
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. chest — of your body
  6. swing — music
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chest — of your body
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a trace

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