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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stock — goods
  7. pop — soda
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. charge — a price
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mark — a trace
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. stock — shares
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. foot — the bottom

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