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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 124 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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Word bank
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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: bay · roll · fall · spell · rule · toast · land · stock

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. land — a country
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. rule — government
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. toast — bread
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. stock — goods
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. land — to come down
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. land — ground
  24. spell — magic

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