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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — the amount
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. cap — of ice
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stock — goods
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stock — shares
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cap — a hat

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