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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 124 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stock — shares
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wound — an injury
  8. track — a path
  9. charge — a price
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. date — the fruit
  16. charge — in control
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wound — an injury
  21. charge — electricity
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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