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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. spring — of water
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. charge — a price
  5. stock — shares
  6. spring — the season
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chair — a leader
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stock — goods
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. spring — a coil
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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