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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rule — government
  3. file — a tool
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stock — goods
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rule — a law
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fine — all right
  20. stock — shares
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. file — a document
  24. nail — on a finger

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