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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stock — shares
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bat — the animal
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stock — goods
  18. rule — a law
  19. saw — the tool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. deal — to handle

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