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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rule — government
  3. stock — shares
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rule — a law
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bound — tied together
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — a group
  12. stock — goods
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. bound — certain
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stock — a soup base

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