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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. land — a country
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stock — shares
  6. firm — steady
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cap — of ice
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. firm — a company
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mark — a grade
  16. firm — decided
  17. stock — goods
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. land — ground
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — a lid
  22. land — to come down
  23. shower — rain
  24. cap — a hat

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