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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. charge — in control
  4. stock — shares
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stock — goods
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. snap — to click
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. charge — electricity
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fork — in a road
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mate — to breed

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