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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — a partner
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — a series
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stock — goods
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stock — shares
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. charge — in control
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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