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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rule — a law
  4. stock — shares
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. foot — a measure
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rule — government
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fall — the season
  15. track — a song
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — goods
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. track — a path

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