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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. squash — to crush
  9. kid — to tease
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. root — the cause
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. root — of a word
  15. stock — goods
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. kid — child
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bound — certain
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. squash — the sport
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. root — of a plant
  24. stock — a soup base

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