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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rest — what's left
  3. staff — employees
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. capital — a city
  6. cap — of ice
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rule — a law
  9. face — to confront
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. rule — government
  13. staff — employees
  14. rock — music
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. capital — money
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. staff — a stick

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