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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: squash · trunk · stock · cap · cue · nail · deal · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. squash — to crush
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cue — for pool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cue — a hint
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rule — government
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cap — a lid
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cap — a hat
  24. deal — to handle

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