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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. present — there
  4. stock — goods
  5. present — a gift
  6. hand — help
  7. stock — shares
  8. staff — employees
  9. rule — government
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. staff — a stick
  15. tube — a container
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. present — the time now
  24. rule — a law

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