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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 120 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. firm — decided
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. firm — a company
  6. snap — to click
  7. firm — steady
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. current — electric
  12. rule — government
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. current — of water
  16. rule — a law
  17. current — happening now
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stock — goods

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