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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. charge — electricity
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. net — for catching
  12. charge — a price
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. net — after costs
  17. swing — in golf
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stock — shares
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stock — goods
  23. net — in sport
  24. charge — in control

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