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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mate — to breed
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stock — goods
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mate — a friend
  11. track — a path
  12. ground — a position
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. charge — in control
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rash — a series
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stock — shares
  24. track — a song

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