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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. charge — electricity
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. charge — a price
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. foot — a measure
  8. charge — in control
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stock — shares
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — a video
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. clip — for paper
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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