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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stock — shares
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. clip — for paper
  10. snap — to click
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stock — goods
  13. clip — a video
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. root — of a word
  16. clip — to cut
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rule — a law
  19. cell — a phone
  20. mug — a cup
  21. club — for dancing
  22. root — the cause
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rule — government

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