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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. current — of water
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. charge — a price
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ground — the earth
  10. charge — electricity
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. current — electric
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. current — happening now
  15. ground — a position
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. charge — in control
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stock — goods
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ground — crushed
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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