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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. firm — decided
  3. charge — electricity
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. net — in sport
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — a price
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. firm — steady
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stock — goods
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. net — after costs
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. firm — a company

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