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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 116 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rash — hasty
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rash — a series
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a great time
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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