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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. date — the fruit
  4. rule — government
  5. firm — a company
  6. stock — shares
  7. can — a tin
  8. stem — to come from
  9. current — of water
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rule — a law
  12. march — music
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. can — a tin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — decided
  17. march — the month
  18. current — electric
  19. march — the month
  20. current — happening now
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. firm — steady
  24. date — on the calendar

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