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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ground — a position
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tube — a container
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — in control
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — the underground
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — crushed
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stock — goods
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bank — of a river
  24. saw — the tool

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