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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. net — for catching
  3. mark — a trace
  4. net — in sport
  5. stock — shares
  6. rule — government
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stock — goods
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hand — help
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. game — a match
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rule — a law
  22. pit — in a race
  23. hand — in cards
  24. net — after costs

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