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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cap — a hat
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. net — after costs
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rash — a series
  14. net — for catching
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. net — in sport
  17. charge — in control
  18. track — a song
  19. stock — shares
  20. charge — a price
  21. mate — a friend
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cap — a lid
  24. track — a path

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