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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stock — goods
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stock — shares
  7. rest — a break
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. mark — a trace
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mark — to pay attention

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