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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. bat — the animal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — in music
  14. firm — decided
  15. press — newspapers
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stock — goods
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bat — for baseball

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