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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 124 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rule — a law
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mug — a face
  6. staff — employees
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. staff — employees
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stock — goods
  22. rule — government
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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