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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. spell — magic
  4. rule — government
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rule — a law
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spell — letters
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rock — music
  24. bulb — for light

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