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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. stock — shares
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rule — government
  11. current — happening now
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wound — an injury
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — clever
  19. current — electric
  20. stock — goods
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rule — a law
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. suit — clothes

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