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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rule — government
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stock — goods
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rash — hasty
  11. last — final
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. last — to go on
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. rash — a series
  19. chip — to eat
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. stock — shares
  23. last — finally
  24. squash — to crush

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