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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ground — a position
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. rest — what's left
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rule — government
  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