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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. object — to protest
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. object — a thing
  7. staff — employees
  8. tube — a container
  9. stock — goods
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. staff — employees
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. object — an aim
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. staff — a stick
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bat — the animal

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