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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stock — goods
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. track — a path
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. race — the arms race
  7. track — to keep track
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rule — a law
  12. track — a song
  13. firm — decided
  14. stock — shares
  15. race — humankind
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. race — a contest
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. firm — steady
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rule — government

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