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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. race — humankind
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. squash — to crush
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. squash — the sport
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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