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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stock — shares
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a great time
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rock — music
  7. net — after costs
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rock — a stone
  10. net — for catching
  11. stock — goods
  12. charge — a price
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. club — for golf
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. club — a group
  21. ball — a dance
  22. charge — in control
  23. net — in sport
  24. rush — to hurry

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