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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. charge — in control
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. firm — a company
  11. bound — certain
  12. stock — goods
  13. bound — tied together
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ground — a position
  16. charge — a price
  17. bound — obliged
  18. firm — steady
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. firm — decided
  23. kick — in football
  24. jam — in traffic

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