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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pound — a weight
  3. drill — army training
  4. stock — shares
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. charge — electricity
  9. drill — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stock — goods
  12. charge — in control
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cell — a phone
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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