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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stock — goods
  5. mug — a face
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. kid — child
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mug — to rob
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stock — shares
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bat — the animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rule — a law
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rule — to rule out

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