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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stock — shares
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bass — low music
  6. stock — goods
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stem — to come from
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bass — the fish
  17. capital — a city
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rule — a law
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. capital — money
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stand — to bear

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