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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rule — government
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rule — a law
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fine — all right
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. clip — a video

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