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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stock — goods
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. cap — of ice
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cell — in biology
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rule — government
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cap — a hat

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