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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rule — a law
  4. stock — shares
  5. squash — to crush
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. key — in music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stock — goods
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fall — the season
  20. rule — government
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. squash — the sport

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