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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stock — goods
  4. charge — electricity
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. charge — a price
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. current — electric
  13. hand — help
  14. current — happening now
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cue — a signal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. row — to paddle
  20. charge — in control
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. current — of water
  23. cue — a hint
  24. row — a line

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