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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. club — for golf
  3. present — there
  4. stock — goods
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. track — a path
  10. charge — in control
  11. cap — of ice
  12. charge — electricity
  13. club — a group
  14. present — the time now
  15. ground — a position
  16. stock — shares
  17. track — a song
  18. present — a gift
  19. club — for dancing
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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