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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mug — a cup
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rock — music
  6. charge — in control
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mug — to rob
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. charge — a price
  12. rush — hurry
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mug — a face
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stock — goods
  24. straw — dry grass

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