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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. march — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. spell — letters
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rule — government
  8. march — the month
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. current — happening now
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. content — the amount
  15. current — of water
  16. spell — magic
  17. stock — shares
  18. current — electric
  19. content — happy
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rule — a law
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fine — all right

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