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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. game — wild animals
  3. present — there
  4. mug — to rob
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. charge — a price
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. face — to confront
  9. present — the time now
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stem — to come from
  12. face — part of the head
  13. game — a match
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. present — a gift
  19. stock — goods
  20. snap — to click
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mug — a face
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stem — a stem cell

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