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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rule — a law
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rule — government
  10. spell — letters
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — goods
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stock — shares
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spell — a short time

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