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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. stock — goods
  4. fall — the season
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. net — after costs
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fall — to drop
  9. net — in sport
  10. stock — shares
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fall — to drop
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. stock — a soup base

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