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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. race — the arms race
  2. can — a tin
  3. stock — shares
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stock — goods
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — hasty
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. lie — to recline
  13. race — a contest
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. race — humankind
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — a match
  23. rule — government
  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