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

Word bank: kid · rule · vault · stock · bass · ruler

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rule — a law
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kid — child
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stock — goods
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rule — government
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. vault — a safe
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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