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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — music
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stock — goods
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rule — a law
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stock — shares
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. straw — dry grass

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