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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. charge — electricity
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. suit — clothes
  5. swing — music
  6. charge — a price
  7. dip — to sink
  8. charge — in control
  9. stock — shares
  10. season — of the year
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. swing — to play on
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. suit — to fit
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. swing — in golf
  20. season — in sport
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. plane — a tool
  24. suit — in cards

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