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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chip — for betting
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stock — shares
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chip — to eat
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. charge — a price
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stock — goods
  24. leaves — of a tree

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