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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wax · mine · pound · stock · staff · rule · present

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. present — the time now
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. staff — employees
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. present — a gift
  13. rule — a law
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rule — government
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. staff — employees
  23. present — there
  24. cabinet — ministers

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