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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. capital — money
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — a law
  16. stock — shares
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. rule — government
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. stock — a soup base

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