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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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. content — the amount
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. scale — in music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stock — goods
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rule — a law
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cap — of ice

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