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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 can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. season — of the year
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stock — goods
  5. club — for dancing
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. charge — a price
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tube — the underground
  12. club — for golf
  13. saw — the tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. club — a group
  16. season — in sport
  17. stock — shares
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. tube — a container
  24. pound — a weight

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