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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rule — government
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — a break
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rule — a law
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rest — what's left
  18. last — finally
  19. capital — money
  20. wake — a trail
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. capital — a city

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