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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. charge — in control
  3. stock — shares
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mug — a face
  7. key — for a lock
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rule — government
  10. key — in music
  11. craft — a skill
  12. face — part of the head
  13. craft — boats
  14. bass — low music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. charge — a price
  19. rule — a law
  20. bass — the fish
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stock — goods
  23. mug — a cup
  24. face — to confront

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