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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. stock — goods
  3. can — a tin
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rule — a law
  10. can — a tin
  11. chip — to eat
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rule — government
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — shares
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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