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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. band — a music group
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. stock — goods
  6. fine — all right
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. suit — clothes
  13. spell — magic
  14. swing — music
  15. stock — shares
  16. spell — letters
  17. charge — in control
  18. fine — high quality
  19. suit — in cards
  20. band — a ring
  21. swing — to play on
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fork — in a road
  24. band — a rubber band

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