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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. can — a tin
  4. shower — rain
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cap — a lid
  7. can — to be able to
  8. staff — employees
  9. game — wild animals
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. staff — employees
  13. game — a match
  14. stock — goods
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. charge — in control
  17. cap — a hat
  18. can — a tin
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. shower — to wash
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cap — of ice

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