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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. file — a document
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. court — of law
  10. cue — a hint
  11. court — of a king
  12. cue — a signal
  13. land — ground
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. land — a country
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rule — a law
  19. court — for sport
  20. stock — shares
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. land — to come down
  23. rule — government
  24. stock — goods

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