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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stock — goods
  3. charge — a price
  4. cap — of ice
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. current — happening now
  7. field — for sport
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. current — of water
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stock — shares
  16. field — farmland
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cap — a hat
  20. current — electric
  21. field — a subject
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. charge — in control
  24. deal — a big deal

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