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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.

Make a worksheet

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: degree · stock · drill · rule · suit · staff

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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 — government
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — in cards
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rule — a law
  6. drill — the tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. stock — goods
  9. staff — a stick
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stock — shares
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. suit — to fit
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. degree — an amount
  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