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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stock — goods
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cue — a signal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cue — for pool
  12. shower — rain
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rule — government
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mine — for digging
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rule — a law
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. jam — in traffic

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