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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. track — a path
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mug — a face
  6. wind — moving air
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rule — a law
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rule — government
  12. track — a song
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wind — moving air
  16. track — to keep track
  17. sharp — clever
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. mug — to rob
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rule — to rule out

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