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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. last — to go on
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. row — a line
  8. last — final
  9. rule — government
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rule — a law
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. last — finally
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mine — for digging

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