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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. present — there
  3. stock — shares
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cap — of ice
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. charge — a price
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. snap — to click
  14. stock — goods
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. charge — in control
  18. branch — a division
  19. cap — a hat
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cap — a lid

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