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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stock — shares
  4. rush — hurry
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — clever
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. saw — the tool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rule — government
  17. content — happy
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rule — a law

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