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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. last — finally
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pop — soda
  10. stem — to come from
  11. last — to go on
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. land — to come down
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pop — music
  16. land — ground
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stock — goods
  20. land — a country
  21. last — final
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stock — shares
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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