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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chip — to eat
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rule — government
  10. stock — shares
  11. bound — certain
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bound — tied together
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bound — obliged
  19. deal — to handle
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chip — in a computer
  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