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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rule — a law
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stock — shares
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stock — goods
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rash — a series

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