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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bat — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. charge — in control
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lean — thin
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mug — to rob
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fine — all right
  20. mug — a face
  21. stock — goods
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stock — shares
  24. date — the fruit

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