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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. swing — in golf
  3. charge — in control
  4. stock — goods
  5. present — a gift
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. court — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. kick — in football
  12. swing — to play on
  13. charge — electricity
  14. court — of law
  15. pitch — completely
  16. present — the time now
  17. court — of a king
  18. stock — shares
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. charge — a price
  22. swing — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. present — there

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