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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. game — wild animals
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. current — happening now
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. hand — help
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. game — a match

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