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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. present — there
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rule — government
  5. stock — shares
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. present — the time now
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. march — music
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. march — the month
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. march — the month
  19. present — a gift
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cabinet — ministers

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