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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. stock — goods
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. net — for catching
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. net — after costs
  16. fine — high quality
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. net — in sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — shares
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. charge — in control

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