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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 124 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rule — government
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stock — goods
  6. last — finally
  7. rule — a law
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pit — in a race
  12. last — to go on
  13. mate — a partner
  14. last — final
  15. pit — a hole
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. squash — the sport
  23. land — to come down
  24. mate — to breed

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