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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 116 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: fan · club · cabinet · cold · rule · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rule — government
  14. cold — an illness
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. club — for golf
  17. rule — a law
  18. club — a group

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