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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. club — a group
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rule — a law
  7. club — for dancing
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pit — a hole
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. object — a thing
  14. rule — government
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. object — to protest
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. object — an aim
  22. pit — in a race
  23. club — for golf
  24. stock — shares

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