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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stock — shares
  3. ground — the earth
  4. key — in music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fall — the season
  8. stock — goods
  9. charge — electricity
  10. key — for a lock
  11. charge — in control
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. key — the most important part
  24. charge — a price

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