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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. craft — boats
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — a price
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. swing — to play on
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. chip — for betting
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stock — shares
  20. snap — to click
  21. charge — in control
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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