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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stock — goods
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stock — shares
  7. race — a contest
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cold — not warm
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fork — in a road
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. race — humankind
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cabinet — ministers

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