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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rule — government
  3. stock — shares
  4. current — happening now
  5. staff — employees
  6. bore — to tire
  7. land — a country
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. land — to come down
  10. tube — a container
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. current — electric
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. staff — employees
  18. stock — goods
  19. land — ground
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cabinet — ministers

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