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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rule — government
  3. stock — shares
  4. object — to protest
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. game — a match
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. stand — to bear
  14. shower — rain
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rule — a law
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. object — an aim
  19. staff — a stick
  20. shower — to wash
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rule — to rule out

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