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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · rule · deal · stock · face · fan

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — music
  10. rule — a law
  11. march — the month
  12. stock — shares
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. stock — goods
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. fan — a supporter

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