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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. face — part of the head
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. game — a match
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. charge — a price
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kick — in football
  15. face — to confront
  16. key — for a lock
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. charge — in control
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. key — the most important part
  22. game — wild animals
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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