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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. field — a subject
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stock — goods
  13. charge — electricity
  14. current — electric
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chair — a leader
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. present — there
  20. stock — shares
  21. present — the time now
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. track — a path

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