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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. firm — a company
  4. content — happy
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. fall — to drop
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — decided
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fall — the season
  14. rule — a law
  15. stock — goods
  16. can — a tin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rule — government
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. firm — steady

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