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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. board — to get on
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rule — government
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. board — a committee
  16. rule — a law
  17. can — a tin
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bass — low music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mouse — 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