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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. can — a tin
  3. charge — in control
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. present — the time now
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cold — an illness
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. pit — in a race
  21. charge — a price
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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