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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pop — soda
  5. stock — shares
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — music
  8. charge — in control
  9. can — to be able to
  10. race — the arms race
  11. spell — magic
  12. race — a contest
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stock — goods
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. race — humankind
  22. can — a tin
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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