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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. present — the time now
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. land — a country
  6. court — of a king
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. charge — in control
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. court — for sport
  13. stock — shares
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. court — of law
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stock — goods
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. land — ground
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. land — to come down

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