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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rash — hasty
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stock — shares
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. row — a line
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — goods
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. suit — in cards
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. suit — clothes
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rash — a series

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