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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ground — a position
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rule — a law
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — certain
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. spell — a short time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ground — the earth
  15. spell — letters
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stock — goods
  18. rule — government
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rule — to rule out

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