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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 120 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cold — not warm
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cold — an illness
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cap — a hat
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — of ice
  16. charge — electricity
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stock — shares
  19. pitch — completely
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mark — a grade
  22. branch — a division
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stock — goods

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