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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. charge — in control
  3. can — a tin
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stock — shares
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. charge — a price
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. can — to be able to
  13. swing — in golf
  14. track — to keep track
  15. band — a ring
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. track — a path
  18. band — a music group
  19. swing — music
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — a song
  23. wound — an injury
  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