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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rule — government
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chair — a leader
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fine — all right
  14. season — of the year
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. season — in sport
  21. fine — high quality
  22. snap — to click
  23. rule — a law
  24. stock — goods

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