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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spell — letters
  4. stock — goods
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. charge — a price
  7. spell — magic
  8. mug — a cup
  9. deal — to handle
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. charge — in control
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mug — to rob
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mark — a grade
  24. spell — a short time

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