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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bass — low music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. tear — from crying
  5. last — to go on
  6. stock — goods
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stock — shares
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. last — final
  18. current — electric
  19. bass — the fish
  20. tear — to rip
  21. current — of water
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. current — happening now
  24. last — finally

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