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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rule — a law
  4. firm — decided
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tube — a container
  8. firm — steady
  9. land — ground
  10. stock — shares
  11. firm — a company
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bound — certain
  14. stock — goods
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. rule — government
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bound — obliged
  22. spell — letters
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. spell — magic

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