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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lean — thin
  3. rule — government
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. scale — in music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. object — an aim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — a grade
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — goods
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stock — shares
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. object — a thing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mark — a trace
  24. object — to protest

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