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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bound — certain
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. face — part of the head
  5. firm — a company
  6. swing — music
  7. net — in sport
  8. charge — electricity
  9. face — to point toward
  10. charge — in control
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. stock — shares
  14. current — happening now
  15. firm — decided
  16. charge — a price
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bound — tied together
  19. face — to confront
  20. current — of water
  21. bound — obliged
  22. firm — steady
  23. current — electric
  24. swing — to play on

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