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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. deal — to handle
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rule — government
  10. bass — low music
  11. land — to come down
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rule — a law
  17. stock — goods
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stock — shares
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. row — a line
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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