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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. spring — of water
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. last — final
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. last — finally
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spring — the season
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. last — to go on
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stock — shares
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rule — a law

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