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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mug — a face
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rule — a law
  5. game — wild animals
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mug — to rob
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rule — government
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. degree — from a university
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. ruler — for measuring

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