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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stand — to bear
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. court — for sport
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. court — of law
  11. rule — a law
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stock — goods
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. court — of a king
  16. prune — to trim
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. content — happy
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rule — government
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rush — a thrill

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