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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — for sport
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. content — the amount
  9. court — of a king
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. content — happy
  15. stock — goods
  16. rule — a law
  17. stock — shares
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. hand — help
  20. court — of law
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — government

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