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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rule — government
  3. stock — shares
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. race — a contest
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fine — high quality
  12. game — a match
  13. stock — goods
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. march — the month
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rash — a series
  18. rule — a law
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fine — all right
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. march — music

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