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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hand — help
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. charge — a price
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stock — goods
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stock — shares
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. charge — in control
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. content — the amount
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. hand — in cards
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cue — for pool
  22. content — happy
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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