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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spring — of water
  3. stock — goods
  4. stem — to come from
  5. track — a song
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mate — a partner
  9. charge — a price
  10. stock — shares
  11. mate — to breed
  12. track — to keep track
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. present — the time now
  16. rule — government
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spring — the season
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. present — there
  21. mate — a friend
  22. track — a path
  23. present — a gift
  24. rule — a law

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