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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 116 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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stock — shares
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stock — goods
  6. last — finally
  7. stand — to bear
  8. charge — in control
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cap — a hat
  11. face — to point toward
  12. last — to go on
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. face — to confront
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. face — part of the head
  22. last — final
  23. staff — employees
  24. charge — a price

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