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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. track — a song
  6. rule — a law
  7. can — a tin
  8. rule — government
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. track — a path
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. deal — to handle
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. net — in sport
  17. stock — shares
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rock — music
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. net — after costs
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stock — goods
  24. net — for catching

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