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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — goods
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — government
  7. fall — the season
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stock — shares
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — magic
  12. fall — to drop
  13. spell — letters
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spell — a short time
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — a law
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. date — the fruit

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