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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: cabinet · stem · rule · club · object · mug

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. object — an aim
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stem — to come from
  5. object — to protest
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. object — a thing
  11. mug — a face
  12. club — for golf
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — government
  17. club — a group
  18. rule — to rule out

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