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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: field · file · ruler · stock · rule · hide

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — for sport
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. file — a tool
  6. rule — government
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stock — goods
  11. file — a document
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stock — shares
  16. rule — a law
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stock — a soup base

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