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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mark — a grade
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. stock — shares
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. row — to paddle
  10. charge — electricity
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stock — goods
  18. charge — a price
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ground — crushed
  23. branch — a division
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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