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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stock — goods
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rash — a series
  7. face — part of the head
  8. file — a tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. charge — electricity
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stock — shares
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. charge — a price
  16. face — to confront
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rash — hasty
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — in control
  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