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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stock — goods
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. club — for golf
  5. spell — a short time
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. charge — in control
  8. roll — a list
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. spell — letters
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. roll — a cake
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. charge — a price
  18. club — a group
  19. spell — magic
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stock — shares
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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