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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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 — shares
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rule — government
  5. wake — a trail
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bank — of a river
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stock — goods
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rule — a law
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bat — the animal
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bank — for money
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bank — for money
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. foot — the bottom
  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