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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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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stock — shares
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rule — government
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ground — a position
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rule — a law
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — goods
  24. wind — moving air

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