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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. kick — in football
  3. bass — the fish
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rule — a law
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cue — for pool
  13. scale — in music
  14. stock — shares
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bass — low music
  24. stock — goods

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