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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stock — shares
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ground — a position
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. land — ground
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. stock — goods

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