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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · season · sharp · pit · track · stock · rash · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. season — of the year
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. track — a path
  7. charge — in control
  8. rash — a series
  9. track — a song
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. sharp — clever
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rash — hasty
  14. track — to keep track
  15. season — in sport
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. charge — a price
  24. season — to add flavour

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