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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stock — shares
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — a committee
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stock — goods
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bat — the animal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rule — government
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. board — to get on
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. tube — a container
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. stock — a soup base

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