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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. charge — in control
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stock — shares
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. charge — a price
  24. fine — all right

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