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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pop — soda
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. cap — a lid
  6. firm — steady
  7. charge — in control
  8. cap — of ice
  9. last — final
  10. last — to go on
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. last — finally
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rest — a break
  16. stock — goods
  17. rest — what's left
  18. charge — a price
  19. object — a thing
  20. stock — shares
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rest — what's left
  23. object — an aim
  24. pop — music

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