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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. clip — for paper
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. charge — in control
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. swing — to play on
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. charge — electricity
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stock — shares
  14. swing — music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. clip — a video
  18. pound — a weight
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. charge — a price
  21. swing — in golf
  22. plane — a tool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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