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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stock — shares
  6. staff — a stick
  7. charge — in control
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. content — happy
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. content — the amount
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. staff — employees
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. game — a match

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