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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rule — a law
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. key — in music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stock — shares
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. squash — to crush
  13. key — for a lock
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mug — a face
  19. key — the most important part
  20. squash — the sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. rule — government
  23. stock — goods
  24. mug — a cup

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