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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. club — for golf
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bark — to shout
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. tear — from crying
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stock — goods
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. suit — in cards
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rest — a break
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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