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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 116 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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stock — shares
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tube — a container
  9. root — the cause
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. root — of a plant
  12. swing — in golf
  13. chip — for betting
  14. swing — music
  15. charge — a price
  16. chip — to eat
  17. root — of a word
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — in control
  21. tube — the underground
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. swing — to play on

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