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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stock — goods
  5. bass — the fish
  6. spring — of water
  7. fall — the season
  8. stock — shares
  9. spring — the season
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bass — low music
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes

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