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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stock — shares
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rest — a break
  9. object — a thing
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pop — to visit
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stock — goods
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pop — soda
  17. object — to protest
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rush — hurry
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. object — an aim
  24. chip — for betting

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