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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spring — of water
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stock — goods
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. spell — letters
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spell — magic
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rule — a law
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — for tennis

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