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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rash — hasty
  4. current — of water
  5. stock — shares
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stock — goods
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — government
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bear — the animal
  13. current — electric
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. current — happening now
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rule — a law
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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