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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. stock — goods
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rash — a series
  8. rule — government
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rock — music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. firm — steady

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