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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stock — goods
  3. march — the month
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. charge — electricity
  6. march — music
  7. clip — to cut
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mug — to rob
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mug — a face
  13. march — the month
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — for paper
  16. swing — in golf
  17. charge — in control
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. charge — a price
  23. mug — a cup
  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