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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. march — the month
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wax — to grow
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stock — goods
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. track — a path
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — a song
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bulb — for light
  20. march — music
  21. rule — a law
  22. bulb — for light
  23. march — the month
  24. stock — shares

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