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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. swing — music
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stock — goods
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. capital — a city
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pit — a hole
  14. capital — money
  15. stock — shares
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pop — music
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pop — soda
  24. deal — an agreement

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