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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 124 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. wind — moving air
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. object — a thing
  10. charge — in control
  11. cue — a hint
  12. object — an aim
  13. stock — goods
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. object — to protest
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. charge — a price
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. deal — an agreement

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