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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 116 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. charge — a price
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stock — goods
  7. charge — electricity
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. last — to go on
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — a city
  15. tear — from crying
  16. last — finally
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — in control
  20. dip — to sink
  21. capital — money
  22. last — final
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. tear — to rip

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