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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. race — humankind
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rash — a series
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stock — shares
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — a contest
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. stock — goods
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cell — in biology
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bowl — a dish

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