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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. swing — music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to confront
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. charge — electricity
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stock — shares
  17. face — to point toward
  18. sharp — clever
  19. swing — in golf
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. craft — boats
  23. charge — in control
  24. sharp — with an edge

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