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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rule — a law
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. key — the most important part
  12. file — a tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. rule — government
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stock — shares
  19. file — a document
  20. board — a committee
  21. saw — the tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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