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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stock — goods
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. hand — in cards
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — help
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. kid — child
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. charge — a price
  24. stock — shares

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