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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. charge — in control
  3. staff — employees
  4. file — a document
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to click
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. track — a path
  14. bear — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. file — a line of people
  17. track — a song
  18. staff — a stick
  19. file — a tool
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. roll — a cake
  22. stock — goods
  23. roll — a list
  24. track — to keep track

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