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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. club — for dancing
  4. last — finally
  5. charge — a price
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rock — music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. row — a line
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pound — a weight
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. charge — in control
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. club — for golf
  21. rock — a stone
  22. club — a group
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stock — shares

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