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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 124 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stock — goods
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. charge — in control
  6. court — of law
  7. content — the amount
  8. court — for sport
  9. content — happy
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mug — a face
  12. stock — shares
  13. charge — a price
  14. court — of a king
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mug — to rob
  17. spring — of water
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spring — the season
  24. nail — for a hammer

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