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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — a thing
  4. lean — thin
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fall — the season
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stock — goods
  10. object — an aim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. object — to protest
  16. lean — to bend
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fall — to drop
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stock — shares

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