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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rest — what's left
  4. band — a ring
  5. wound — an injury
  6. squash — the sport
  7. charge — in control
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wound — an injury
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stock — shares
  15. charge — a price
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. stock — goods
  20. band — a music group
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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