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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. court — for sport
  3. root — of a word
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. firm — a company
  6. root — the cause
  7. charge — in control
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. court — of law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. firm — steady
  13. mark — a trace
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mug — a face
  16. court — of a king
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. mark — a grade
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rule — a law
  22. mug — to rob
  23. firm — decided
  24. rule — government

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