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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. game — a match
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — the time now
  10. stock — goods
  11. present — a gift
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. can — a tin
  14. drill — the tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. drill — a practice
  17. present — there
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wound — an injury
  22. charge — a price
  23. stock — shares
  24. drill — army training

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