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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. court — of a king
  3. stock — goods
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pop — to visit
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. charge — in control
  10. stock — shares
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pop — soda
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pop — music
  17. court — for sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. snap — to click
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of law
  24. wound — an injury

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