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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 120 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: nail · chip · board · stock · root · court · rule · mate

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. 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. rule — a law
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. root — the cause
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. root — of a word
  8. rule — government
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stock — goods
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stock — shares
  15. court — of law
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — a friend
  20. court — for sport
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mate — to breed
  23. court — of a king
  24. 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