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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stock — shares
  3. spring — a coil
  4. drill — army training
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spring — of water
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. charge — in control
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. charge — a price
  13. rush — hurry
  14. charge — electricity
  15. stock — goods
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. spring — the season
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mate — a partner
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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