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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. track — a song
  3. present — there
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mate — to breed
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mate — a partner
  9. track — a path
  10. charge — a price
  11. kick — in football
  12. hand — help
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stock — goods
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. hand — in cards
  23. charge — in control
  24. stock — shares

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