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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — obliged
  4. key — in music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — the most important part
  8. saw — the tool
  9. key — for a lock
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. stock — goods
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ruler — a monarch

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