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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stock — shares
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bank — of a river
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stock — goods
  15. rule — government
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rule — a law
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bank — for money
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. last — final

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