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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. charge — in control
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bound — certain
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stock — shares
  10. charge — a price
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pitch — completely
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bound — tied together
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rash — a series
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stock — goods
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pass — a permit

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