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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. staff — employees
  4. rule — government
  5. stand — to bear
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. court — of law
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. stock — shares
  13. staff — employees
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. file — a document
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bear — the animal

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