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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. shower — to wash
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. cell — in biology
  11. row — a line
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fine — all right
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stock — shares
  19. can — a tin
  20. charge — a price
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. shower — rain
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fine — a penalty

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