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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stock — shares
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mug — a face
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. staff — employees
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rule — government
  21. stock — goods
  22. cell — a phone
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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