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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. staff — employees
  3. charge — a price
  4. staff — a stick
  5. net — after costs
  6. deal — to handle
  7. swing — in golf
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. swing — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. swing — to play on
  13. net — in sport
  14. charge — in control
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stock — shares
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. net — for catching
  22. staff — employees
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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