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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. charge — in control
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tear — from crying
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bass — low music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stock — shares
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tear — from crying
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. charge — a price
  24. stock — goods

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