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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bulb — for light
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stock — shares
  12. march — the month
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. march — the month
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stock — goods
  19. rule — a law
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. march — music
  24. pit — in a race

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