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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. band — a ring
  5. stock — goods
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. net — after costs
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rule — a law
  11. band — a music group
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. roll — a list
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rash — hasty
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mug — a face
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stock — shares

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