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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. rule — government
  8. mate — to breed
  9. court — for sport
  10. mate — a friend
  11. lean — thin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. court — of a king
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rule — a law
  18. mug — a cup
  19. firm — a company
  20. lean — to bend
  21. firm — steady
  22. court — of law
  23. firm — decided
  24. mug — to rob

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