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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. stock — goods
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pop — to visit
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. charge — a price
  14. pop — soda
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stock — shares
  18. can — a tin
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. can — to be able to
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. racket — for tennis

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