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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rule — a law
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. season — in sport
  8. land — ground
  9. rock — music
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rule — government
  16. land — to come down
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. land — a country
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chip — to eat

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