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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. race — humankind
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tear — from crying
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rule — government
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tear — to rip
  12. club — for golf
  13. rule — a law
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tear — from crying
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. club — a group
  23. race — a contest
  24. rule — to rule out

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