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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stock — goods
  3. rule — a law
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rash — a series
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stock — shares
  17. hand — help
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. last — final
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rule — government
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. pass — to spend time

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