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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — the sport
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. court — of law
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rule — government
  11. stock — shares
  12. court — of a king
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. court — for sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rule — a law
  23. pop — soda
  24. squash — to crush

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