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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. charge — electricity
  5. swing — to play on
  6. charge — in control
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wind — moving air
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stock — goods
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. charge — a price
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. swing — music

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