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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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. foot — part of the body
  4. fine — all right
  5. wind — moving air
  6. field — a subject
  7. firm — steady
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rule — government
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mark — a grade
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stock — goods
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. firm — a company
  18. rule — a law
  19. field — farmland
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stock — shares
  23. field — for sport
  24. firm — decided

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