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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 120 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stock — shares
  4. game — a match
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rule — government
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stock — goods
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rule — a law
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. hide — to keep secret

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